Outer Banks Times

In a recent roundtable on campus free speech led by U.S. Representative Greg Murphy (R-NC), the primary focus was on addressing the issue of student self-censorship and promoting First Amendment rights in educational environments. The conversation advocated for legislative support to ensure open expression on campuses.

According to a press release by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), the organization participated in Murphy's third annual 'Congressional Campus Free Speech Roundtable' earlier this month. The discussion tackled concerns highlighted in FIRE’s 2024 Campus Free Speech Rankings, which revealed a widespread fear among college students about potential damage to their reputation due to misunderstandings, and reported a 20% rate of self-censorship.

The same press release from FIRE noted that House Committee on Education & the Workforce Chairwoman US Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) and Rep. Burgess Owens (R-UT) were among those who participated in the discussion. They were accompanied by members of various organizations including Davidsonians for Freedom of Thought and Discourse, the American Council of Trustees and Alumni, Speech First, Alumni Free Speech Alliance, and Young America’s Foundation. Students from the University of Utah and the University of Wisconsin-Madison also joined in.

According to FIRE's press release, Harrison Wells, president of Young Americans for Freedom at UW-Madison, faced an inquiry from a bias response team for hosting conservative speaker Matt Walsh. Citing a UW-Madison survey that showed only 27% of students are taught about the First Amendment, Wells stressed the need to change institutional cultures for better protection of rights. FIRE is advocating lawmakers for grants to educate on First Amendment rights and aims to continue engaging with supportive legislators for free speech and due process.

A separate press release issued by Murphy's office stated that in April 2023, Murphy introduced two initiatives related to campus free speech. The first was a resolution condemning compelled speech in university admissions and faculty processes. The second was the reintroduction of the Campus Free Speech Restoration Act, aimed at addressing the nationwide silencing of conservative voices. This legislation required universities to report First Amendment violations to the Department of Education and disclose their free speech policies publicly; non-compliance could result in restrictions on Title IV funding.