President Trump has signed an executive order to withhold Government funding from all colleges and universities that do not uphold free speech.
Princeton University student Riley Heath said US colleges have seen an increasing “tension between students of differing opinions” and “a growing threat of violence towards people to try and suppress their speech”.
Speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference earlier this month, President Trump said: “I will be signing an executive order requiring colleges and universities to support free speech if they want federal research dollars.”
‘Genuine problem’
Across America, speakers have been ‘no-platformed’, academics threatened with dismissal, and certain topics deemed off-limits.
Professor Keith Whittington, author of ‘Speak Freely’, said: “There’s a genuine problem on campus free speech in the country at large. Lots of universities do not do nearly as good of a job on this as they should.”
Multiple states have already implemented policies that promote the free exchange of ideas in their educational institutions.
Free speech policies
Earlier this month, Texas and Kentucky passed Bills promoting free speech at its colleges and universities. Utah and Iowa have also proposed free speech legislation.
Last year, Arizona, Louisiana, Virginia and other states passed legislation requiring campuses to include free speech policies in materials for new students.
And colleges in Arkansas, Florida and Kentucky were prohibited from creating designated “free speech zones”, which restrict free speech in other areas on campus.