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#AcademicFreedom

3 posts3 participants0 posts today

#USfascism / ‘The American system is being destroyed’: academics on leaving US for ‘scientific asylum’ in France

The situation is being compared to the welcoming of exiled researchers to #France during World War II. Researchers express concerns about censorship, potential deportation for speaking out against the government, and a general discouragement in the current academic climate.

theguardian.com/education/2025

We must not overlook of course the role that hypocritical and baseless accusations of #antisemitism in academia have played in justifying politically motivated academic crackdowns.

@academicchatter
#USA #Fascism #AcademicFreedom #Israel #GazaGenocide

The Guardian · ‘The American system is being destroyed’: academics on leaving US for ‘scientific asylum’ in FranceBy Ashifa Kassam

If you think the Democrats are going to save us, think again. California’s state assembly, overwhelmingly Democratic, just passed a new fascistic censorship and government control bill, AB715, with 100% unanimous support.

The bill claims to protect public school students from antisemitism and islamophobia. In reality, it simply suppresses free speech of students and staff. It’s definition of antisemitism is so broad that it will likely lead to an official policy equating anti-Zionism, and criticism of Israel, with antisemitism.

It prohibits schools from using any instructional material the state finds discriminatory, which will likely lead to bans and erasures of maps and distortions of curriculum on Palestine, Kurdistan, and Arab and Muslim history, in general.

The law would create the state’s first “Antisemitism Czar,” a new bureaucratic arbiter of what is acceptable speech and curriculum versus what is to be considered “antisemitic.”

Teachers, staff, and board members would be subject to rapid and severe consequences should the state find them in violation of this new law. Not only is this a severe restriction on academic freedom and the ability of teachers to teach the historical facts to their students, but it’s a violation of teachers’ rights to due process and to protection from vindictive and arbitrary discipline. No where does it state that a teacher must be found guilty of discriminating against a student, or a class of students. All they have to do to be in violation of the law is to say something the new state Antisemitism Czar finds offensive, like “Palestinians have the right to self-determination,” or “Israel is committing genocide.” Or even something as innocent as "Save the Children in Palestine."

calmatters.digitaldemocracy.or

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A week after the June 17 letter, the #DOJ demanded the removal of #UVA President James E. Ryan, acc/to 2 people familiar w/the situation, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter. Dhillon has since denied that such a demand was made, telling CNN she had expressed to the governing board that she didn’t have confidence in Ryan’s ability to follow the #law & said significant money was on the line.

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“Time is running short, & the Department’s patience is wearing thin,” read a June 17 letter from top #DOJ ofcls Harmeet K. Dhillon & Gregory W. Brown, both #UVA alumni. “Dramatic, wholesale changes are required, now, to repair what appears to be a history of clear abuses & breaches of our nation’s laws & our Constitution by the University of Virginia under its current administration.”

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In a letter to the head of the board overseeing #UVA sent on Thurs, Ryan said that he had planned to step down at the end of the next academic year but “given the circumstances & today’s conversations” he had decided “with deep sadness” to tender his resignation….

The #school’s board has accepted Ryan’s resignation….

Governor Ron DeSantis has announced that he and five other state leaders are launching a new accreditation system for universities. This is the result of a tantrum he is having because he lost in court against the Biden Department of Education (remember when we had one of those?) when he tried to control the speech of subject area experts who were doing research and establishing university policy that he felt was too woke.

He frames this as introducing competition to the accreditation market. (Capitalists always going to capitalist). He says now universities will have a choice. And if you actually believe that, well...

The state has already prevented one university president, chosen by a cabal of trustees, one faculty member, and a student, from taking office. By installing presidents of their liking, of their political persuasion, the governors of these states will do exactly what they claim the radical left is doing - politically forming curriculum and missions of state universities. Those presidents will publicly thank the governor for introducing choice to the market, and swiftly change accreditors.

The best part? He openly acknowledges that this must be done swiftly before his term ends and the mid term elections happen.

highereddive.com/news/6-univer

#AttackOnHigherEducation
#Florida
#Gleichschaltung
#indoctrination
#AcademicFreedom
#FreedomOfExpression

Higher Ed Dive · 6 public university systems unveil plans to launch new accrediting agencyBy Natalie Schwartz
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"The #UniversityOfCalifornia is committed to fair & lawful processes in all of our programs & activities, consistent with federal & state anti-discrimination laws," the spox said in a statement. "The University also aims to foster a campus environment where everyone is welcomed & supported."

The investigation focuses on the university's strategic plan, which identifies increasing underrepresented *#minority* & #female #faculty as a #university goal.
#law #AcademicFreedom #WhiteSupremacy #sexism

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“Institutional directives that use race- & sex-based hiring practices expose employers to legal risk under federal law," Harmeet Dhillion, the head of the *Civil Rights* Division, said in a statement.

A spox for #UC system said it would work with the #DOJ "in good faith" during the investigation.

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The probe is the latest move against #colleges & #universities by the #Trump admin, which has also launched investigations into campus *antisemitism* [#FreeSpeech] & has sought to freeze #research #funding.

The #DOJ's [former] *#CivilRights* Division alleged that the university system openly measures new hires by their race & sex. The probe will investigate whether its practices represent a pattern or practice of *#discrimination* under #TitleVII of the #CivilRightsAct.…

US #DOJ to probe hiring practices at #UniversityOfCalifornia

The #Trump *#Justice* Dept will investigate hiring practices at the #University of #California system to examine whether its efforts to boost #faculty #diversity run afoul of *anti-discrimination* laws, the DOJ said in a statement on Thurs.

#law #Constitution #AcademicFreedom #RevengePolitics #WhiteSupremacy #MaleSupremacy #heterosexism #bigotry
reuters.com/legal/litigation/u