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Noted author, feminist, and civil libertarian Wendy Kaminer makes about FIRE’s recent victory at the University of Delaware (UD) on , the blog she shares with FIREco-founder Harvey Silverglate.

Following up on her from last week, Kaminer sagely points out that as ever, sunlight is the best disinfectant — particularly when an egregious abuse of individual rights, like the one exposed at UD, is institutionally sponsored. As she writes:

University of Delaware officials did not terminate this program because they suddenly realized the wrongfulness of subjecting students to mandatory thought reform.  They terminated the program because it was publicly exposed, and, outside the university’s ideological bubble, it was simply indefensible. 

Kaminer also points out that recriminations on campus for those who dared challenge the unconstitutional status quo are likely, and that continuing outside attention to the situation at UD is necessary for lasting reform:  

I expect that any suspected whistleblowers will be vilified as malcontents, or conservative ideologues, and I wouldn’t be surprised if university officials started an investigation to find out who “leaked” the damning documents describing the resident life program.  Restoring and preserving civil liberty at U.D. requires continuing vigilance.

We couldn’t agree more.