4 ms·
Worth noting that in the US, this could not have happened. The First Amendment covers academia which receives Federal Funds. There's even an organization which
by cjensen 5y ago
Worth noting that in the US, this could not have happened. The First Amendment covers academia which receives Federal Funds. There's even an organization which is dedicated to defending this principle in court[1].
[1] https://www.thefire.org https://www.thefire.org
- throwawaygh 5y ago> The First Amendment covers academia which receives Federal Funds This isn't true. 1. Private colleges and universities that receive federal funds (e.g., the form of Pell Grants, government-originated student loans, or even research grants) have no obligation to offer faculty any amount of intellectual freedom. (Tangentially, this is highly unlikely to change as long as evangelical Christians are a non-trivial bloc within the GOP; tons of bible colleges, religiously affiliated colleges/universities, and seminaries rely on federal funds in one form or another. The evangelical world has a vested interest in maintain the financial viability of these institutions without sacrificing their character.) 2. Even at public universities, this still isn't true. Government employees enjoy asoundingly expansive free speech rights compared to private sector employees, but, crucially, only in their capacity as private citizens! Public statements made in pursuit of official duties are not generally protected under 1A. NB: the tweets came from an official account.