Campus Free Speech, Under Threat From the Right
Outrage mobs, attacks from Republican officials, and the case of Professor Jeff Klinzman
Last week, while all eyes were on Bret Stephens and his unsuccessful attempt to intimidate a university professor, a smaller, but more significant campus free speech episode was playing out in Iowa. Jeff Klinzman, an adjunct professor of English at Kirkwood Community College and self-proclaimed member of Antifa, was stripped of his position after controversial comments he made on social media came to light.
According to Kirkwood President Lori Sundberg, her decision to remove Klinzman — she insists he voluntarily resigned; Klinzman disputes this account — came from a “commitment to fostering a safe learning environment for students, faculty, and staff.” When a faculty member’s speech “is perceived as placing public safety in jeopardy, or hampers our ability to deliver on our mission, we will always do what is necessary in service to our students’ pursuit of a higher education.”
What to make of this explanation? Reason’s Robby Soave interpreted it as Safetyism run amok — the misguided notion that students must be protected from controversial or offensive speech. Yascha Mounk of The Atlantic reached a similar conclusion, warning that “the fear that somebody’s views…
