Gov. Shapiro’s quiet grip on Penn shows how state pressure can turn private universities into political tools — and free speech into collateral damage.
After an assassin cut short a campus speech, colleges must keep in mind that passing security costs to speakers or canceling events under the guise of “safety” hands victory to the heckler’s veto — and invites more violence.
The Trump administration trampled Harvard University’s First Amendment rights and broke civil rights law when it yanked billions in federal grants and contracts over alleged Title VI violations.
On July 24, 2025, Columbia University announced that it reached an agreement with the Trump administration to restore federal funding that was revoked over allegations of its handling of anti-Semitism on campus.
In trying to silence student journalists, UT Dallas only made them louder. Now after censoring the campus paper and banning FIREfrom speaking, the backlash is bigger than Texas.
