Latest news with #freeexpression
New York Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- New York Times
Defining ‘Antisemitism' Is the Subject of Bitter Debate
Many donors, politicians and Jewish students have pressured their colleges to confront antisemitism more forcefully. But one challenge can make the exercise feel like quicksilver. There's no consensus about what, precisely, constitutes antisemitism. University administrators and federal officials alike have considered one contentious definition that has gained traction in recent years, put forward by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. The definition itself is not the source of controversy. It states that antisemitism is a 'certain perception of Jews that may be expressed as hatred' toward them. But the alliance also includes with the definition a series of examples that alarm many supporters of free expression. They include holding Israel to a 'double standard' and claiming Israel's existence is a 'racist endeavor.' Supporters of the Palestinian cause say those examples conflate antisemitism with anti-Zionism and are intended to protect Israel from criticism. Supporters of the alliance's definition say that it helps press colleges to stop tolerating behavior against Jews that would be unacceptable if it were directed at racial minority groups or L.G.B.T.Q. students. Debates over how to define antisemitism have intensified on college campuses since the Hamas attack on Israel in 2023 and Israel's ensuing war in Gaza. The definition has been invoked in debates over whether to cancel controversial speakers, events and panels on the ground that they are antisemitic. Donald Trump campaigned on punishing universities that did not do enough to curb antisemitism. His administration has threatened significant amounts of funding to institutions like Harvard, saying they did not do enough to keep Jewish students safe.
Washington Post
5 days ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
Texas just gutted free speech on college campuses. Is your state next?
Laura Benitez is state policy manager and Jonathan Friedman is Sy Syms managing director for PEN America's U.S. free expression programs. As thousands of students return to college campuses this fall, they will find themselves stepping into an environment reshaped by political and ideological mandates. Across the country, state legislators have been racing to exert new influence over free expression in higher education. Now, Texas has surged to the forefront, closing its 2025 legislative session by passing two alarming laws that take effect Sept. 1.
CBC
25-06-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Bubble trouble: Do protest bylaws silence dissent?
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association has just launched a constitutional challenge against legislation in the city of Vaughan known as a "bubble zone" bylaw. It restricts protest within 100 metres of a place of worship, school, daycare, hospital or care facility. Advocates say that in a time of rising extremism and hate crimes, the bylaws are necessary to protect vulnerable groups' access to these spaces. Toronto and the nearby town of Oakville also passed bubble zone bylaws last month, and several other Ontario municipalities, including Ottawa, are considering similar legislation of their own. But the CCLA argues the bylaws are unnecessary and infringe on free expression rights, while other critics have argued they're being used to silence dissent — in particular pro-Palestinian protest. Today, producer Allie Jaynes looks at the surprising history of bubble zones, the cases for and against them, and whether they're being used to chill peaceful protest. This episode references another Front Burner episode, from May 2024, on protests outside a synagogue in Vaughan, Ontario. You can find that episode here: Apple / Spotify
Washington Post
20-06-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Texas looks to enact restrictions on when and how students can protest
Texas's conservative governor may soon sign a measure that opponents say would dramatically limit how more than a million students enrolled in one of the country's largest public university systems are allowed to protest on campus, part of the Republican response to last year's roiling student protests over the Israel-Gaza war.
CBS News
12-06-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Student says Pennsylvania high school forced them to remove keffiyeh at graduation ceremony
A student at Lower Merion High School in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, says they were not allowed to fully participate in their graduation ceremony because they were wearing a headscarf that has become a symbol for Palestinians. The student, Evan, said they showed up for the ceremony last Thursday in a keffiyeh-patterned headscarf. According to Evan's post on Instagram, school officials said the colors were a "political statement." The post says the student was pulled aside and told to take it off because it would cause a disruption. Evan said they were eventually allowed to return for a portion of the graduation after removing the headscarf. In a statement to CBS News Philadelphia, the Lower Merion School District said it sent guidelines to seniors and their families weeks before graduation. The guidelines included not wearing attire with political messages that would distract from the purpose of the ceremony, the Lower Merion School District said. The Philadelphia chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations condemned the schools' actions and said in a statement in part that the incident is a "clear violation of students' rights to free expression, and a troubling example of racial and political profiling." The Lower Merion School District said students were given a choice between removing items that violated their guidance and participating in the ceremony, or not removing them and not participating.
