Source: Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression
by Tyler Coward
“The federal government abandoned its existing process to brow-beat Columbia — and Columbia folded.
Higher education reform shouldn’t resemble a shakedown. Colleges and universities shouldn’t be bullied into accepting speech-restrictive demands because the government dangles a $400 million check over an institution’s head. Any changes made as a result of this flawed process are inherently suspect. FIRE is looking into the steps Columbia pledged to take in response to government demands, and their implications for free speech and academic freedom. But one stands out instantly: Columbia crafted its own definition of anti-Semitism that is vague and sweeping enough that it will imperil speech otherwise protected by the First Amendment.” (03/24/25)
https://www.thefire.org/news/columbia-caves-feds-and-sets-dangerous-precedent