AFA News

September 2023

September Update from the Academic Freedom Alliance Promoting the Princeton Principles Last month, the AFA helped call attention to the release of the Princeton Principles for a Campus Culture of Free Inquiry, which were issued by the James Madison Program in American...

August 2023

August Update from the Academic Freedom Alliance As we enter the Fall semester, the AFA is hard at work defending faculty under fire for protected speech. We are working behind the scenes to support professors and are exploring getting involved in additional cases. ...

July 2023

July Update from the Academic Freedom Alliance Calling Out Texas A&M Earlier today, we sent a letter to Texas A&M regarding its suspension and investigation of a faculty member over comments critical of Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick. According...

June 2023

June Update from the Academic Freedom Alliance It may be summer, but we’ve had a busy month at the AFA. Below is a summary of our key activities from June. Taking on the Mayo Clinic On June 6, the AFA sent a letter to the Mayo Clinic denouncing its treatment of Dr....

AFA Files Amicus Brief on Florida’s “Stop WOKE Act”

AFA Files Amicus Brief on Florida’s Unconstitutional “Stop WOKE Act” Brief Filed with 11th Circuit calls Act “unconstitutionally vague and overbroad” PRINCETON, NJ – The Academic Freedom Alliance (AFA) today filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the...

May 2023

May Update from the Academic Freedom Alliance We hope everyone had a successful end to their spring semester. As we enter the summer months, the AFA will remain active and engaged, continuing to fund cases and monitor any new academic freedom controversies on...

April 2023

April Update from the Academic Freedom Alliance As we near the end of the spring semester, the AFA is hard at work defending faculty under fire for protected speech. We are actively supporting the legal funding of five new cases and exploring getting involved in...

March 2023

March Update from the Academic Freedom Alliance Marking our Two Year Anniversary March 8th marked two years since the launch of the Academic Freedom Alliance. We’ve grown our membership and expanded our outreach and involvement in myriad ways.  While the AFA has sent...

February 2023

February Update from the Academic Freedom Alliance Newest Additions to our Interview Series This month, we released two new interviews as part of our regular series of conversations with leading scholars on academic freedom issues.  The first is a conversation with...

January 2023

January Update from the Academic Freedom Alliance The Academic Freedom Alliance is off to a busy start in 2023. Below is a summary of our key actions from this month. Letter to Hamline University On January 2, the AFA sent a letter to Hamline University regarding its...

AFA Calls for an End to “Divisive Concepts” Legislation

AFA Calls for an End to “Divisive Concepts” Legislation New wave of state level proposals seeks to ban instruction on race and gender topics PRINCETON, NJ – The Academic Freedom Alliance (AFA) today released a statement urging policymakers to refrain from adopting...

December 2022

December Update from the Academic Freedom Alliance We hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season and resting up before the spring semester. It’s been a busy year for the Academic Freedom Alliance and we’re grateful for all of the support, involvement, and continued...

November 2022

November Update from the Academic Freedom Alliance Dear AFA Members and Friends, We hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We’ve had another successful month of getting our message out to new audiences, and we could use your help to continue advancing that...

October 2022

Monthly Update from the Academic Freedom Alliance Dear AFA Members and Friends, We hope everyone is enjoying their fall semesters. We’ve had another busy month at the AFA. Below are some of our activities since our last update. Statement on NYU Controversy:  On...

September 2022

Monthly Update from the Academic Freedom Alliance Welcome to the AFA’s monthly newsletter, our newest way of keeping members and friends informed of our efforts to promote and defend academic freedom. With this month’s newsletter, we offer updates on our activities to...

AFA Statement on NYU Prof. Maitland Jones

AFA Releases Statement on NYU Prof. Maitland Jones NYU refused to rehire Jones over his professional judgement in grading  PRINCETON, NJ – The Academic Freedom Alliance (AFA) today released a statement on the non-renewal of employment for Prof. Maitland Jones of New...

AFA Calls for An End to Required Diversity Statements

AFA Calls for An End to Required Diversity Statements Statement says forced pledges of conformity “threaten to impose a suffocating orthodoxy” PRINCETON, NJ – The Academic Freedom Alliance (AFA) today released a statement urging institutions of higher education to...

AFA Sends Letter to Penn on Amy Wax

AFA Sends Letter to Penn on Amy Wax Letter calls for end to consideration of “major sanction” against Wax PRINCETON, NJ – The Academic Freedom Alliance (AFA) today sent a letter to the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) in defense of Professor Amy Wax, Robert Mundheim...

Remembering John Hardy Lewis

Remembering John Hardy Lewis The Academic Freedom Alliance (AFA) joins with friends, family, and the legal community in remembering John Hardy Lewis, a member of our Legal Advisory Council, a distinguished attorney, and an admired member of his community. Mr. Lewis...

AFA Sends Letter to St. Olaf College in Minnesota

AFA Sends Letter to St. Olaf College in Minnesota Letter calls out a “grievous assault on the intellectual climate of the college” PRINCETON, NJ – The Academic Freedom Alliance (AFA) today sent a letter to St. Olaf College regarding its decision to rescind Professor...

Letter to Concordia Wisconsin on Gregory Schulz

Letter to Concordia Wisconsin on Gregory Schulz Rev. Dr. Schulz suspended for criticizing university’s “wokeness” PRINCETON, NJ – The Academic Freedom Alliance (AFA) sent a letter today to Concordia University Wisconsin regarding Rev. Dr. Gregory Schulz, a tenured...

AFA Case Updates

The Academic Freedom Alliance (AFA) today issued the following updates on three cases in which it is involved.

AFA Statement on Mandatory Statements

AFA Statement on Mandatory Statements AFA: Universities must not mandate that faculty embrace certain statements of values PRINCETON, NJ – Today, the Academic Freedom Alliance (AFA) issued a statement regarding the rising incidence of universities requiring faculty to...

AFA Membership Surpasses 400

The Academic Freedom Alliance announced that its membership has grown to 406 faculty members across the United States. Since launching in March 2021 with more than 200 founding members, the AFA has continued to add a diverse contingent of new members in a rolling invitation and review process overseen by its Membership Committee.

AFA Condemns Suspension of Michigan Professor Bright Sheng

AFA Condemns Suspension of Michigan Professor Bright Sheng In a letter, the AFA criticizes suspension as “egregious violation” of academic freedom PRINCETON, NJ – This week, the Academic Freedom Alliance sent a letter to the president and provost of the University of...

Learn More About the Academic Freedom Alliance

Individuals at academic institutions should not fear suppression or retaliation for teaching, writing, or speaking. We encourage you to join the movement in supporting the flourishing of intellectual life and the pursuit of knowledge and truth at institutions of higher learning.