FIRE is a faculty rights organization that can help you defend your rights on campus because higher education should be a marketplace of ideas. Public college and university faculty who face a threat of sanction by their institution or have been punished for expressive activity — whether it’s instruction, scholarship, or speaking on issues of public concern — can submit matters for Faculty Legal Defense Fund consideration. Our staff will quickly review the matter and, if it falls within FLDF’s mandate, connect the faculty member with one of the experienced nearby lawyers in the FLDF network for assistance.
FIRE’s 2024 report finds that faculty members are four times more likely to self-censor than they were in the 1950s, at the height of the Cold War and McCarthyism.
"Without the help and leadership of ֭, I am certain that I would have been forced out of my career of over 25 years." — Coastal Carolina University Professor Steven Earnest
Public college and university faculty who face a threat of sanction by their institution or have been punished for expressive activity — whether it’s instruction, scholarship, or speaking on issues of public concern — can submit their case to ֭'s Faculty Legal Defense Fund for consideration.
FIRE'S Faculty Legal Defense Fund offers “first responder” assistance protecting the rights of faculty at public colleges and universities. FLDF pays the lawyer’s fees directly, with the goal of quickly and efficiently resolving disputes related to free expression and academic freedom in favor of the faculty member.
FIRE provides helpful resources for college faculty members seeking to better understand their rights on and off campus.
FIREis now my favorite organization in America. Its advice and support in those critical first 24-72 hours of the cancellation campaign against me were crucial in the pushback that ultimately allowed me to survive and thrive.
When Georgetown Law suspended faculty member Ilya Shapiro and launched an investigation into a controversial tweet, FIREstepped in to defend his free speech and academic freedom rights. Georgetown finally reinstated him on after a 122-day investigation, determining that the law school couldn’t punish him for a tweet he posted before the start of his employment.
Find out how well your school’s policies protect the free speech rights of students and faculty.
Learn more about the FIREFaculty Network and hear from our staff of First Amendment experts by watching our faculty webinar series.
FIRE defends the rights of students and faculty through several core services.
FIRE’s core defense program provides free assistance to individual students, professors, student media, and campus groups whose fundamental civil liberties are violated.
FIRE’s college Policy Reform team works to proactively and systematically challenge campus policies that violate students’ and faculty members’ free speech and due process rights.
Facing a university investigation? Have officials refused to share evidence or follow fair procedures? ֭’s lawyers may be able to help.
FIRE advocates for individual rights at both the state and federal level by advocating on behalf of rights-protective legislation and against proposed laws that threaten student and faculty due process rights.
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