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Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression

@thefireorg.bsky.social
6.8K followers 4 following 298 posts

We defend and promote free speech for all Americans in our courtrooms, on our campuses, and in our culture.

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Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression @thefireorg.bsky.social · 30/09/2025
Brotherhood and sisterhood are forced to take a backseat to bureaucracy and suppression in Greek Life at @GallaudetU. Their new Greek Reform Guidelines impose sweeping rules that ban words like “pledge,” control student attire at events, and restrict who can become members.
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Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression @thefireorg.bsky.social · 25/09/2025
A federal court has vindicated the rights of a @USD professor who was set to be fired for social media posts about Charlie Kirk’s murder. This decision confirms what FIRE has long said—the First Amendment protects faculty’s personal speech on matters of public concern.
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Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression @thefireorg.bsky.social · 24/09/2025
ASU’s apparent restriction does the opposite, flying in the face of the First Amendment. FIRE demands that Angelo State University clarify whether the restriction exists—and if so, scrap it immediately.
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Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression @thefireorg.bsky.social · 24/09/2025
Texas’s Angelo State University reportedly has an unwritten policy that bans faculty from discussing “transgender topics,” using students’ preferred names, or displaying LGBTQ flags. As a public university, ASU must allow faculty to teach students as they see fit.
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Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression @thefireorg.bsky.social · 24/09/2025
The University of Missouri doubles down on cancelling a student event for using “Black” in the name, claiming students might think it was racially exclusive. Yet Mizzou has no issue with its own Gaines/Oldham Black Culture Center or Black Studies courses. Pot, meet kettle.
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Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression @thefireorg.bsky.social · 23/09/2025
FIRE will continue to call on private institutions to stand up for their rights — no matter who is in office. As we wrote to the Supreme Court back in Feb. 2024, when the government jawbones private platforms into silencing speech, it violates the First Amendment. www.thefire.org/research-lea...
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Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression @thefireorg.bsky.social · 23/09/2025
Google should not have waited to acknowledge it was pressured by the Biden administration to block content on its platforms. Google condemns jawboning now, but it failed to stand up for the rights of its users when it mattered.
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Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression @thefireorg.bsky.social · 23/09/2025
BREAKING: A University of South Dakota professor filed a federal lawsuit today after the university moved to fire him over a Facebook post about Charlie Kirk’s assassination, following pressure from top state officials. FIRE supports Professor Hook’s efforts to defend his First Amendment rights.
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Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression @thefireorg.bsky.social · 18/09/2025
FIRE’s Bob Corn-Revere for @PostOpinions: FCC Chair Brendan Carr nakedly abused government power to pressure ABC into removing Jimmy Kimmel from the air for his speech. In America, the government doesn’t get to play network executive and determine who and what you watch.
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Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression @thefireorg.bsky.social · 17/09/2025
The firing of Clemson University faculty members for posts about the murder of Charlie Kirk is the start of a troubling national trend. FIRE reminds Clemson and all public universities that protected speech remains protected, even in tragedy.
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Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression @thefireorg.bsky.social · 17/09/2025
On Constitution Day, we honor the principles that make America strong and remember that its survival depends on us. Introducing Soapbox: FIRE’s bold new conference to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary with high-impact keynotes, timely panels, and unforgettable entertainment.
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Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression @thefireorg.bsky.social · 16/09/2025
WEBINAR: U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi says hate speech isn’t free speech—but the Supreme Court has declared otherwise. Join FIRE as we unpack Bondi’s remarks, explain what the law actually says, and respond to the latest free speech news from the past week.
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Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression @thefireorg.bsky.social · 16/09/2025
President Trump suggested today that media outlets are engaging in “hate speech” by being “unfair” to him and “maybe” should be prosecuted. Trump’s statement demonstrates the inherent danger of “hate speech” laws: Those in power will always weaponize them to silence dissent.
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Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression @thefireorg.bsky.social · 16/09/2025
There is no hate speech exception to the First Amendment. Nevertheless, the attorney general says "there's free speech, and then there's hate speech," and the government will "target you, go after you, if you are targeting anyone with hate speech."
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Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression @thefireorg.bsky.social · 12/09/2025
The rise is happening across ideological lines. No one is immune. Students on the left were long the most accepting of violence, but now support has grown everywhere. Acceptance among students on the right and Independents has doubled or tripled, even surpassing the left.
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Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression @thefireorg.bsky.social · 12/09/2025
Student acceptance of violence to silence speakers is at a record high. In 2020, 1 in 5 students said violence was acceptable to stop a speaker. In 2025, that number is 1 in 3. That’s a 79% increase in just five years. And it’s chilling.
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Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression @thefireorg.bsky.social · 11/09/2025
“Free speech is what we do instead of violence. Civilization started the day man first cast a word instead of a stone.” We must not lose sight of this civilization-defining distinction. 🎙️: @nicoperrino.bsky.social 📺: @cnn.com
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Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression @thefireorg.bsky.social · 10/09/2025
BREAKING: Charlie Kirk was shot during an event at Utah Valley University today. Details of the incident are still unfolding. Political violence is never an acceptable response to speech. Free speech allows us to settle our differences peacefully and is essential to a free and democratic society.
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Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression @thefireorg.bsky.social · 09/09/2025
Who’s winning and who’s failing at campus free speech? Join FIRE for a special webinar on the 2026 College Free Speech Rankings—and what it means for American colleges and universities. Register today and bring your questions to the live Q&A! 🔥
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Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression @thefireorg.bsky.social · 09/09/2025
6/ Increasingly, censorship is bipartisan. Conservative students are joining their liberal peers in saying shout-downs are acceptable. One in three students now believe that violence is at least rarely acceptable to silence a speaker—making campus speech less free for everyone.
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Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression @thefireorg.bsky.social · 09/09/2025
5/ On public campuses, nearly half of students say the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is difficult to discuss. Campuses should be places where diverse viewpoints are celebrated and students can engage in open debate, not self-censor.
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Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression @thefireorg.bsky.social · 09/09/2025
4/ Barnard College, Columbia University, and Indiana University are ranked the worst colleges for free speech. They fell after disastrous responses to Israel-Hamas War protests—Indiana even stationed snipers on rooftops during peaceful encampments. Safe to say, free speech wasn’t a priority.
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Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression @thefireorg.bsky.social · 09/09/2025
3/ This year’s class average was an “F.” Even the highest-ranked school, Claremont McKenna College, only earned a B-.
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Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression @thefireorg.bsky.social · 09/09/2025
2/ FIRE and College Pulse surveyed over 68,000 students from 257 institutions to uncover the state of free speech in higher education. Across the country, campuses enforce unclear policies and restrict debate, fueling a climate where free speech is under threat.
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Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression @thefireorg.bsky.social · 09/09/2025
BREAKING: FIRE’s 2026 College Free Speech Rankings reveal America’s colleges are failing. The nation’s report card on campus speech shows over half of colleges received an “F” rating. Intolerance in students has skyrocketed in the Trump 2.0 era.
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Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression @thefireorg.bsky.social · 05/09/2025
What happens when the government “enforces” the law by ignoring it? The answer hit the Trump administration hard. A federal court ruled this week that the government crossed the line when it froze billions in @harvard.edu’s funding—just as FIRE has publicly argued. 🧵
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Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression @thefireorg.bsky.social · 03/09/2025
UTC is backpedaling on its Greek life ban, ending it early and referring to it as a temporary “pause.” But last time we checked, the First Amendment isn’t a TV show, and admins don’t get a remote. Blatant censorship isn’t a pause—it’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
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Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression @thefireorg.bsky.social · 03/09/2025
BREAKING: Free speech doesn’t stop when the sun sets—but Texas thinks it does. A new Texas law forces public universities to ban virtually all expressive activities after 10 PM, a violation of the First Amendment. That’s why FIRE is suing to stop this chilling law in its tracks.
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Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression @thefireorg.bsky.social · 29/08/2025
Schools should be a place where students can share ideas. But in Montgomery County, VA, speaking up could get you sent to the principal’s office. A new hate speech policy says students and staff could face discipline for speech that “disparages” others—disruptive or not.
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Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression @thefireorg.bsky.social · 27/08/2025
The party’s over at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. UTC suspended all 25 campus fraternities and sororities after public reports of misconduct from two chapters. Rather than punish the perpetrators, UTC banned groups that did nothing wrong merely because they shared a Greek alphabet.
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Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression @thefireorg.bsky.social · 25/08/2025
STATEMENT: President Trump may believe he has the power to revise the First Amendment with the stroke of a pen, but he doesn’t. Flag burning as a form of political protest is protected by the First Amendment. That’s nothing new.
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Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression @thefireorg.bsky.social · 22/08/2025
The University of Missouri canceled a Black student group’s back-to-school event for using “Black” in the event name. Yes, you read that right. Administrators decided the punny name was discriminatory and “race exclusive.”
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Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression @thefireorg.bsky.social · 21/08/2025
Students don’t lose their constitutional rights at the school doors. The district confirmed that students are free to speak to the media and affirmed its respect for their First Amendment rights—even about bathroom conditions. And FIRE will hold them to it.
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Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression @thefireorg.bsky.social · 21/08/2025
A Columbus, OH high school reportedly warned students not to speak to the press after a problematic bathroom policy caused long lines, UTIs, and girls menstruating through their clothes. FIRE stepped in—securing a commitment to student speech rights in the Buckeye State.
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Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression @thefireorg.bsky.social · 19/08/2025
Behind the ivy-covered walls of American higher education, the barbed wire around free thought is tightening. A shocking new exposé by FIRE's @sarahemclaugh.bsky.social reveals the hidden threat of authoritarian influence in our colleges and universities. Get your copy TODAY! 🔥
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Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression @thefireorg.bsky.social · 19/08/2025
Her remarks were directly tied to an agenda item on proposed ethics rule changes. But the mayor invoked vague bans on “personal attacks” and discussion of “personnel matters.” Public comment periods exist to protect this kind of sharp, relevant criticism.
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Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression @thefireorg.bsky.social · 19/08/2025
Be careful what you say in Kyle, TX, city council meetings. During a recent public comment period, Yvonne Flores-Cale suggested city officials were trying to conceal unethical conduct. The mayor cut her off, and the police escorted her away from the mic. And it’s all on video.👇
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Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression @thefireorg.bsky.social · 18/08/2025
VICTORY! In a win for student expression on campus, the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals today overruled a lower court's decision, sided with FIRE’s clients, and blocked West Texas A&M University’s unconstitutional ban on drag shows.
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Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression @thefireorg.bsky.social · 14/08/2025
UNT’s drag halt violates the First Amendment, Texas law, and its own policies, banning an entire class of protected expression. And this isn’t the first time Texas courts have addressed a case like this.
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Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression @thefireorg.bsky.social · 14/08/2025
Last spring, the University of North Texas ordered an indefinite, system-wide “pause” on all drag performances over the perceived “ideology” of drag shows. But this open-ended pause is just a ban in disguise. FIRE and @aclutx.bsky.social urge UNT to lift this restraint on campus expression.
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Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression @thefireorg.bsky.social · 14/08/2025
2/ It’s as ridiculous as it sounds. For the signs that are allowed, the current law forces residents into a costly permit process and limits businesses to only one temporary sign for 90 days. The amendment makes it worse, imposing special rules just for “political” signs.
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Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression @thefireorg.bsky.social · 08/08/2025
2/ NYT's David Brooks cites this data in the @nytimes.com, noting a broader decline in well-being among young people in the West, especially progressives.
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Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression @thefireorg.bsky.social · 08/08/2025
57% of “very liberal” students in FIRE’s 2024 College Free Speech Rankings say they experience poor mental health at least half the time, compared to 35% of “very conservative” students. Both numbers are high, but the gap is striking.
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Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression @thefireorg.bsky.social · 07/08/2025
In the United States, you shouldn’t have to show a passport to voice an opinion. We The People don’t need Secretary Rubio and the federal government to protect us from ideas. That’s about as un-American as it gets. 📺 @cnn.com
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Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression @thefireorg.bsky.social · 06/08/2025
“What does not have an arguable constitutional basis is someone voicing an opinion that would be completely protected if you or I said it, and the secretary of state saying, ‘We don’t like the ideas you’re spreading — get out.” 🎙️: Conor Fitzpatrick 📰: @nytimes.com
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Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression @thefireorg.bsky.social · 06/08/2025
2/ FIRE’s suit seeks a landmark ruling that the First Amendment bars the government from deporting noncitizens for protected speech. Rubio has invoked two immigration laws—one allowing him to revoke visas, another letting him target speech seen as a threat to U.S. foreign policy.
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Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression @thefireorg.bsky.social · 01/08/2025
2/ The more processors allow themselves to be placed in the role of censor, the more pressure they will receive, and free speech will suffer. They can avoid that result by refusing to grant themselves that power. FIRE lays out how. 👇 www.thefire.org/research-lea...
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Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression @thefireorg.bsky.social · 01/08/2025
After pressure from a small anti-porn group, payment processors Mastercard and Visa pushed online platforms Itchio and Steam to remove hundreds of adult-rated games. Financial gatekeepers shouldn’t cave to pressure campaigns that demand they decide what speech is allowed.
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Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression @thefireorg.bsky.social · 30/07/2025
VICTORY! After FIRE’s advocacy, the Utah State Board of Education has revised its guidance: Students can carry personal copies of books banned from curriculum. That’s a major shift from language that instructed school staff to tell students they couldn’t bring them.
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Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression @thefireorg.bsky.social · 29/07/2025
More colleges and universities than ever have no written policies seriously threatening free expression, according to FIRE’s 2025 Spotlight on Speech Codes Report.
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