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The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), formerly called the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, is a
501(c)(3) A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, Trust (business), trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of ...
non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...
civil liberties Civil liberties are guarantees and freedoms that governments commit not to abridge, either by constitution, legislation, or judicial interpretation, without due process. Though the scope of the term differs between countries, civil liberties of ...
group founded in 1999 with the mission of protecting
freedom of speech Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction. The rights, right to freedom of expression has been r ...
on college campuses in the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. FIRE changed its name in June 2022, when it broadened its focus from colleges to freedom of speech throughout American society.


Overview

The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education was co-founded by
Alan Charles Kors Alan Charles Kors (born July 18, 1943) is an American historian who is the Henry Charles Lea Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Pennsylvania, where he taught the intellectual history of the 17th and 18th centuries. He has received ...
and Harvey Silverglate in 1999, who were FIRE's co-directors until 2004. Kors and Silverglate had co-authored a 1998 book opposing censorship at colleges following the water buffalo incident at the University of Pennsylvania''.'' Silverglate had served on the board of the
American Civil Liberties Union The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is an American nonprofit civil rights organization founded in 1920. ACLU affiliates are active in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. The budget of the ACLU in 2024 was $383 million. T ...
(ACLU) of Massachusetts. Kors served as FIRE's first president and chairperson. Its first executive director and, later, CEO, was Thor Halvorssen. FIRE files lawsuits against colleges and universities that it perceives as curtailing
First Amendment First most commonly refers to: * First, the ordinal form of the number 1 First or 1st may also refer to: Acronyms * Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters, an astronomical survey carried out by the Very Large Array * Far Infrared a ...
rights of students and professors. FIRE has been described as a competitor of the ACLU. FIRE was founded to be non-ideological and nonpartisan. According to a January 2025 article in ''
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...
'' magazine, a survey of FIRE email subscribers found 28 percent identify as left-leaning, 32 percent as right-leaning, and the rest as "other." FIRE has received major funding from groups which primarily support
conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
and
libertarian Libertarianism (from ; or from ) is a political philosophy that holds freedom, personal sovereignty, and liberty as primary values. Many libertarians believe that the concept of freedom is in accord with the Non-Aggression Principle, according ...
causes, including the
Bradley Foundation The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, commonly known as the Bradley Foundation, is an American charitable foundation based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, that has been one of the most influential funders of the conservative movement. The foundation ...
, Sarah Scaife Foundation, and the
Charles Koch Institute The Charles Koch Institute is a Libertarianism in the United States, libertarian-oriented public policy research, programming, grant-making, and fellow, fellowship-funding organization based in Virginia. Named after Charles Koch, its founder and ...
. Among its other donors is the Hugh M. Hefner Foundation and
Jack Dorsey Jack Patrick Dorsey (born November 19, 1976) is an American businessperson, who is a co-founder of Twitter, Inc. and its CEO during 2007–2008 and 2015–2021, as well as co-founder, principal executive officer and chairman of Block, Inc. (deve ...
's philanthropic initiative #StartSmall. FIRE president
Greg Lukianoff Gregory Christopher Lukianoff (; born 1974) is an American lawyer, journalist, author and activist who serves as the president of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE). He previously served as FIRE's first director of legal a ...
told ''Politico'' that the center-left
Knight Foundation The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, also known as the Knight Foundation, is an American non-profit foundation that provides grants for journalism, communities, and the arts. The organization was founded as the Knight Memorial Education ...
and
Bloomberg Philanthropies Bloomberg Philanthropies is a philanthropic organization that encompasses all of the charitable giving of founder Michael R. Bloomberg. Headquartered in New York City, Bloomberg Philanthropies focuses its resources on five areas: the environ ...
were also donors. According to ''The New York Times'' journalist Cecilia Capuzzi Simon, "There are other groups that fight for First Amendment rights on campus, but none as vocal—or pushy—as FIRE." The ''Times'' also referred to FIRE as a "familiar irritant to college administrators," and said FIRE "bristles at the right-wing tag often applied to them." ''New York'' magazine has reported that the label may result from FIRE’s historic defense of conservative and heterodox professors and students on college campuses where progressives dominate.
Cathy Young Catherine Alicia Young (born Yekaterina Jung; ; born February 10, 1963) is a Russian-American journalist. Young is primarily known for her writing about feminism and other cultural issues, as well as about Russia and the former Soviet Union. Sh ...
, a
Cato Institute The Cato Institute is an American libertarian think tank headquartered in Washington, D.C. It was founded in 1977 by Ed Crane, Murray Rothbard, and Charles Koch, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Koch Industries.Koch ...
fellow and columnist for '' The Bulwark'', wrote that "FIRE has handled many cases involving speech suppression in the name of progressive values, utit is that rare group which actually means it when it claims to be nonpartisan", noting that it had sued on behalf of a professor who was fired because of a negative tweet about
Mike Pence Michael Richard Pence (born June 7, 1959) is an American politician and lawyer who served as the 48th vice president of the United States from 2017 to 2021 under President Donald Trump. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Repub ...
. In June 2022, FIRE announced it was expanding its efforts beyond college campuses, to American society. It was renamed Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, keeping the acronym FIRE. It detailed a $75 million expansion plan over three years to focus on "litigation, public education, and research." Josh Gerstein wrote in ''
Politico ''Politico'' (stylized in all caps), known originally as ''The Politico'', is an American political digital newspaper company founded by American banker and media executive Robert Allbritton in 2007. It covers politics and policy in the Unit ...
'' that "part of the push may challenge the American Civil Liberties Union's primacy as a defender of free speech." ''Politico'' also wrote that FIRE would spend $10 million on "planned national cable and billboard advertising featuring activists on both ends of the political spectrum extolling the virtues of free speech." In April 2023, FIRE hosted a gala in New York City to celebrate its expanded mission. The event featured keynote remarks by rapper
Killer Mike Michael Santiago Render (born April 20, 1975), better known by his stage name Killer Mike, is an American rapper, singer and activist. He made his recording debut on Outkast's fourth album ''Stankonia'' (2000), and guest appeared on the duo's Gr ...
, who told the audience, "Right now, in this country, your freedom of speech is at risk."


Organization

FIRE is headquartered in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
, with another office in Washington, D.C. As of October 2023, ''Politico'' reported that FIRE employs 109 people, including 42 lawyers, and has an annual budget of nearly $37 million.


Leadership

First Amendment attorney and '' The Coddling of the American Mind'' co-author
Greg Lukianoff Gregory Christopher Lukianoff (; born 1974) is an American lawyer, journalist, author and activist who serves as the president of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE). He previously served as FIRE's first director of legal a ...
serves as president and CEO. Nico Perrino is executive vice president. Ira Glasser, former executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), serves on FIRE's Advisory Council. Former ACLU President Nadine Strossen is a Senior Fellow. Will Creeley, son of the poet
Robert Creeley Robert White Creeley (May 21, 1926 – March 30, 2005) was an American poet and author of more than 60 books. He is associated with the Black Mountain poets, although his verse aesthetic diverged from that school. Creeley was close with Charle ...
, is FIRE's legal director. When asked about his role at the organization in a January 2025 interview, Creeley said, "I look at the job as being an honest broker, kind of like being an ambulance driver in the culture wars. You just show up and do the job. I want to think of myself as a plumber: They don't ask about your politics; they just fix the sink."


Policy positions


Campus speech

FIRE rates colleges with a red, yellow, or green light based on its assessments of speech restrictions, with a red light meaning that a college policy "both clearly and substantially restricts freedom of speech." FIRE's percentage of colleges with "red light" speech codes increased in 2022 for the first time in 15 years. FIRE also gives colleges that do not promise their students free speech rights a "warning" rating. In 2007, Jon B. Gould, an author and
George Mason University George Mason University (GMU) is a Public university, public research university in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. Located in Northern Virginia near Washington, D.C., the university is named in honor of George Mason, a Founding Father ...
faculty member, criticized FIRE's rating methods, arguing that FIRE had exaggerated the prevalence of unconstitutional speech codes. In 2020, FIRE partnered with College Pulse and RealClearEducation to release the College Free Speech Rankings, a comparison of student free-speech environments at America's top college campuses. The rankings incorporate FIRE's speech code ratings, but also include surveys of students at the ranked schools. In their 2025 rankings, FIRE and College Pulse ranked more than 250 schools and surveyed over 58,000 students, with the
University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States. It was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson and contains his The Lawn, Academical Village, a World H ...
achieving the top ranking and
Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...
ranking last. FIRE has challenged
free speech zone Free speech zones (also known as First Amendment zones, free speech cages, and protest zones) are areas set aside in public places for the purpose of political protesting. The First Amendment to the United States Constitution states that "Congre ...
s on college campuses, claiming they are unconstitutional restrictions on First Amendment rights. The organization has provided legal support to students contesting free speech zones, while also supporting legislation to eliminate such zones. In his book ''Speech Out of Doors: Preserving First Amendment Liberties in Public Places'' (Cambridge University Press, 2008), law professor Timothy Zick wrote "in large part due to IRE'slitigation and other advocacy efforts, campus expressive zoning policies have been highlighted, altered, and in a number of cases repealed." During campus protests over the
Gaza war The Gaza war is an armed conflict in the Gaza Strip and southern Israel fought since 7 October 2023. A part of the unresolved Israeli–Palestinian conflict, Israeli–Palestinian and Gaza–Israel conflict, Gaza–Israel conflicts dating ...
, FIRE representatives have said that colleges and universities can enact "reasonable time, place, and manner" restrictions but they must be applied in "a content viewpoint neutral manner".


Social media censorship

FIRE opposes efforts by the government to pressure private social media companies to censor speech on their platforms. The group argues that "efforts to 'jawbone' private platforms into granting government officials a role in decisions about content moderation must fail." FIRE chief counsel Robert Corn-Revere called a federal judge's 2023 order blocking the government from pressuring social media companies to censor "a win for the First Amendment."


Challenges to college residence life programs

In 2007, the organization said that a mandatory program for students living in dormitories at the
University of Delaware The University of Delaware (colloquially known as UD, UDel, or Delaware) is a Statutory college#Delaware, privately governed, state-assisted Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Newark, Delaware, United States. UD offers f ...
resembled "thought reform". The school suspended it.


Student press

At the
University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh The University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh (UW Oshkosh or UWO) is a public university in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, United States. It is part of the University of Wisconsin System and offers bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs to around 13,0 ...
, FIRE opposed university practices that required student journalists to submit their questions ahead of time or seek permission from the school before interviewing university employees. After FIRE intervened, the university revised its practices to no longer require prior approval before interviews.


Campus security fees

FIRE has opposed security fees some campuses charge to groups which host controversial speakers. These fees are charged to pay for extra security, which colleges say is necessary due to the likelihood of demonstrations and disruption of events. In March 2009, FIRE challenged a security fee charged to a
UC Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California), is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California, United States. Founded in 1868 and named after the Anglo-Irish philosopher George Berkele ...
group for a speech by Elan Journo, who advocates for the destruction of Palestine. In 2014, FIRE assisted the Kalamazoo Peace Center in its lawsuit against
Western Michigan University Western Michigan University (Western Michigan, Western or WMU) is a Public university, public research university in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States. It was initially established as Western State Normal School in 1903 by Governor Aaron T. B ...
, after the university said the peace center could only invite social activist and rapper
Boots Riley Raymond Lawrence "Boots" Riley (born April 1, 1971) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, rapper, and communist activist. He is the lead vocalist of The Coup and Street Sweeper Social Club. He made his feature-film directorial ...
to speak on campus if it paid a security fee. The school settled the lawsuit and agreed to revise its policies. In April 2022, FIRE challenged a security fee charged to Dartmouth College's Republican group for hosting a speech by Andy Ngo.


Due process

FIRE also targets situations where students and faculty are adjudicated outside the bounds of
due process Due process of law is application by the state of all legal rules and principles pertaining to a case so all legal rights that are owed to a person are respected. Due process balances the power of law of the land and protects the individual p ...
afforded to them by Constitutional law or stated university policy. FIRE has argued for more rights for students facing
sexual assault Sexual assault is an act of sexual abuse in which one intentionally Physical intimacy, sexually touches another person without that person's consent, or Coercion, coerces or physically forces a person to engage in a sexual act against their w ...
allegations. In 2011, FIRE opposed the Education Department's "Dear Colleague" letter that urged universities to use a "preponderance of the evidence" standard instead of the criminal justice system's "beyond a reasonable doubt" standard in sexual assault cases. In 2020, FIRE supported new rules made by the
Department of Education An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...
during the Trump administration about sexual assault and
harassment Harassment covers a wide range of behaviors of an offensive nature. It is commonly understood as behavior that demeans, humiliates, and intimidates a person, and it is characteristically identified by its unlikelihood in terms of social and ...
cases that required colleges to allow the
cross-examination In law, cross-examination is the interrogation of a witness by one's opponent. It is preceded by direct examination (known as examination-in-chief in Law of the Republic of Ireland, Ireland, the Law of the United Kingdom, United Kingdom, Austra ...
of accusers.


Diversity, equity, and inclusion

FIRE opposes some
diversity, equity, and inclusion In the United States, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are organizational frameworks that seek to promote the fair treatment and full participation of all people, particularly groups who have historically been underrepresented or subject ...
(DEI) efforts on college campuses that it says infringe on the free speech and academic freedom rights of students and faculty members. For example, FIRE objects to mandatory "diversity statements" that require faculty to explain their commitment to DEI as part of the hiring and evaluation process. The group argues that such requirements can function as "political litmus tests" that force faculty to accept certain "political or ideological viewpoints for which there is no consensus." It has drafted model legislation to abolish the use of diversity statements. In 2023, FIRE released a survey that asked 1,500 college faculty for their views on the use of diversity statements. Half of the respondents said they are "a justifiable requirement for a job at a university." The other half of respondents claimed they are "an ideological litmus test that violates academic freedom," including 90 percent of conservative faculty. Later that year, FIRE filed a lawsuit against the
California Community Colleges The California Community Colleges is a postsecondary education system in the U.S. state of California.California Education CodSection 70900(added to the Education Code by Chapter 973 of the California Statutes of 1988Assembly Bill No. 1725 secti ...
system, which the organization says forces professors to promote politicized DEI concepts.


Public and private universities

FIRE has argued that public schools are required to uphold First Amendment protections for their students and faculty members because they are government entities. Although private schools are not bound by the First Amendment, FIRE has said contractual promises they make related to free speech or academic freedom should be upheld.


"Institutional neutrality"

FIRE has pushed for colleges and universities to enact "institutional neutrality" policies, which call for administrators to refrain from speaking on contentious political and social issues. In February 2024, FIRE,
Heterodox Academy Heterodox Academy (HxA) is a Nonprofit organization, nonprofit advocacy group of academics working to counteract what they see as a lack of viewpoint diversity on college campuses, specifically political diversity. The organization was founded in ...
, and the Academic Freedom Alliance released a joint open letter calling for institutional neutrality.


Artificial intelligence

In February 2024, Lukianoff testified before
Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...
on artificial intelligence-powered censorship and propaganda tools. He said, " hemost chilling threat that the government poses in the context of emerging AI is regulatory overreach that limits its potential as a tool for contributing to human knowledge."


Cases


Public universities

FIRE joined with a number of other civil liberties groups in the case of '' Hosty v. Carter'', involving suppression of a student newspaper at
Governors State University Governors State University (Governors State, GSU, GovState, or GOVST) is a public university in University Park, Illinois, United States. The campus is located south of Chicago, Illinois. GovState was founded in 1969. It is a public universi ...
in
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...
, and has been involved in a
case Case or CASE may refer to: Instances * Instantiation (disambiguation), a realization of a concept, theme, or design * Special case, an instance that differs in a certain way from others of the type Containers * Case (goods), a package of relate ...
at
Arizona State University Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public university, public research university in Tempe, Arizona, United States. Founded in 1885 as Territorial Normal School by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, the university is o ...
where it condemned the listing of certain sections of a class as open only to Native American students. FIRE sparred with the
University of New Hampshire The University of New Hampshire (UNH) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university with its main campus in Durham, New Hampshire, United States. It was founded and incorporated in 1866 as a land grant coll ...
in 2004 over its treatment of student Timothy Garneau, who was expelled from student housing after he wrote and distributed a flier joking that female classmates could lose the " freshman fifteen" by taking the stairs instead of the elevator. After FIRE publicly criticized the decision, Garneau was reinstated. In May 2007,
Valdosta State University Valdosta State University (VSU or Valdosta State) is a public university in Valdosta, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1906, it launched in 1913 as an all-girls college. VSU is one of the four comprehensive universities in the University System ...
expelled T. Hayden Barnes, who had protested against the construction of two new parking garages on the campus which he saw as encouraging the use of private transportation. University president Ronald Zaccari misconstrued a caption of the proposed garages as the "Ronald Zaccari Memorial Parking Garage" as a threat to himself. With FIRE support, the expulsion was overturned and a court found VSU to have violated Barnes's due process rights. In 2008, college professor Kerry Laird was ordered by
Temple College Temple College is a public community college in Temple, Texas, with regional branch campuses at other locations in Central Texas. History Temple Junior College was founded in 1926 to serve post-secondary students in eastern Bell County, Texa ...
to remove the quote, "Gott ist tot" (God is Dead), a famous quote from
Friedrich Nietzsche Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (15 October 1844 – 25 August 1900) was a German philosopher. He began his career as a classical philology, classical philologist, turning to philosophy early in his academic career. In 1869, aged 24, Nietzsche bec ...
, from his office door. FIRE wrote a letter to the Temple administration hinting at the possibility of legal action. In October 2011, Catawba Valley Community College suspended a student (Marc Bechtol) for complaining on Facebook about a new policy that required students to sign up for a debit card to get their student ID and grant money. CVCC decided that the comments were "disturbing" and a "threat", and used that reasoning to suspend the student. FIRE took the side of the student. Charges were dropped in December 2011. In 2012, FIRE filed a lawsuit against
Iowa State University Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University, Iowa State, or ISU) is a Public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricult ...
(ISU) after ISU prevented the university's chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws from designing T-shirts featuring the school's mascot. The lawsuit eventually ended with nearly $1 million in damages and fees awarded. In 2014, FIRE sued
Chicago State University Chicago State University (CSU) is a Historically black colleges and universities, predominantly black (PBI) public university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. It includes an honors program for undergraduates and offers bachelor's and master ...
(CSU) for trying to shut down a faculty blog critical of CSU's former administration. The school eventually agreed to rewrite its speech policies, paying $650,000 to settle the lawsuit. In 2021, FIRE filed a First Amendment lawsuit on behalf of an Eastern Virginia Medical School student who said his free speech rights were violated when the school denied recognition to a club that he was trying to establish because it supported universal health care. In March 2022, the school settled the lawsuit. Later that year, the organization helped Stuart Reges, a professor of the
University of Washington The University of Washington (UW and informally U-Dub or U Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington, United States. Founded in 1861, the University of Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast of the Uni ...
's Allen School of Computer Science, sue the school in ''Reges v. Cauce'' after it recommended that he include a Native American "land acknowledgment" on his course syllabus. FIRE is also representing conservative students at California-based Clovis Community College, where school administrators reportedly removed the students' anti-communism flyers from campus bulletin boards. In 2021, in response to the board of trustees at the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC, UNC–Chapel Hill, or simply Carolina) is a public university, public research university in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States. Chartered in 1789, the university first began enrolli ...
declining to give Nikole Hannah-Jones tenure, FIRE released a statement saying "if it is accurate that this refusal was the result of viewpoint discrimination against Hannah-Jones, particularly based on political opposition to her appointment, this decision has disturbing implications for academic freedom." In September 2022, FIRE announced a lawsuit challenging Florida's Stop WOKE Act, arguing that the bill unconstitutionally suppresses certain discussions of race and sex on college campuses. That November, a federal judge considering lawsuits by FIRE and the ACLU stopped enforcement of the higher education portions of the law, calling them "positively dystopian" and ruling that the law violates the rights of university students and faculty members. ''New York Magazine'''s
Jonathan Chait Jonathan Chait () is an American pundit and writer for ''The Atlantic''. He was previously a senior editor at ''The New Republic'' and an assistant editor of ''The American Prospect'' and wrote for '' New York'' magazine. He writes a periodic c ...
wrote that, while FIRE "has stood up against speech restriction from both the right and the left," it was notable that "the most effective opponent of left-wing political correctness" had led the effort against Florida Governor
Ron DeSantis Ronald Dion DeSantis (; born September 14, 1978) is an American politician, attorney, and former United States Navy, naval officer serving as the 46th List of governors of Florida, governor of Florida since 2019. A member of the Republican Pa ...
' "signature campus law." In March 2023, FIRE filed a lawsuit challenging a ban on student drag shows at
West Texas A&M University West Texas A&M University (WTAMU or WT) is a public university in Canyon, Texas, United States. It is the northernmost campus of the Texas A&M University System and accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Southern Associat ...
, which the group called an "unlawful attempt to censor students." In a letter to the campus community, university president Walter Wendler called drag shows "divisive" and "demeaning" to women, despite acknowledging that the law appeared to require him to allow such shows.


Private universities

FIRE has criticized
Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...
's sexual misconduct policy; according to FIRE, the policy "lack deven the most minimal safeguards and fundamental principles of fairness". The criticism led to the resignation of Charlene Allen, Columbia's program coordinator for the Office of Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Education, whose policies were at the center of the controversy. FIRE criticized
Brandeis University Brandeis University () is a Private university, private research university in Waltham, Massachusetts, United States. It is located within the Greater Boston area. Founded in 1948 as a nonsectarian, non-sectarian, coeducational university, Bra ...
for disciplining politics professor Donald Hindley. The school's provost informed Hindley in October 2007 that comments he made in his Latin American politics class violated the school's anti-harassment policy. Hindley was alleged to have mentioned the slur " wetback" in class during a discussion about racism toward
Mexican-American Mexican Americans are Americans of full or partial Mexican descent. In 2022, Mexican Americans comprised 11.2% of the US population and 58.9% of all Hispanic and Latino Americans. In 2019, 71% of Mexican Americans were born in the United State ...
immigrants. Krauss placed a monitor in Hindley's class and ordered him to attend racial sensitivity training. In 2015, FIRE defended Erika Christakis, associate master of
Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...
's
Silliman College Silliman College is a residential college at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. The college is named for Benjamin Silliman, the first science professor at Yale. It opened in September 1940 as the last of the original ten residential c ...
, after she questioned the school's Intercultural Affairs Council for highlighting the cultural implications of Halloween costumes. In 2021, FIRE advocated on behalf of
Stanford University Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a Private university, private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth ...
student Nicholas Wallace, who satirized the
Federalist Society The Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies (FedSoc) is an American Conservatism in the United States, conservative and Libertarianism in the United States, libertarian legal organization that advocates for a Textualism, textualist an ...
and Republican political figures in an email to his peers. Wallace's diploma was initially put on hold for the email, prompting FIRE to contact Stanford in his defense. The school's investigation was ultimately dropped and Wallace was allowed to graduate. In 2022, FIRE released a series of advertisements in Boston, Massachusetts, accusing
Emerson College Emerson College is a private college in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It also maintains campuses in Los Angeles and Well, Limburg, Netherlands (Kasteel Well). Founded in 1880 by Charles Wesley Emerson as a "school of Public Speaking, o ...
of censoring free speech on campus. The ad campaign came in response to Emerson investigating and suspending the campus chapter of
Turning Point USA Turning Point USA (TPUSA) is an American nonprofit organization that advocates for Conservatism in the United States, conservative politics on high school, college, and university campuses. It was founded in 2012 by Charlie Kirk and Bill Montgo ...
, which distributed stickers featuring a hammer and sickle with the caption "China Kinda Sus" (slang for "suspicious"). Emerson claimed the stickers represented "anti-China hate", while FIRE blamed the school for violating "freedom of expression". FIRE objected to
Hamline University Hamline University ( ) is a private university in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. Founded in 1854, Hamline is the oldest university in Minnesota, the first coeducational university in the state, and is one of five Associated Colleges of th ...
's 2022 decision to punish adjunct professor Erika López Prater after she showed students in her art history course a painting of the Islamic prophet
Muhammad Muhammad (8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious and political leader and the founder of Islam. Muhammad in Islam, According to Islam, he was a prophet who was divinely inspired to preach and confirm the tawhid, monotheistic teachings of A ...
. FIRE argued this violated the professor's academic freedom rights, filing a complaint with the university's accreditor.


Off-campus

In August 2022, FIRE defended the nonprofit group NeuroClastic, which had been threatened with a defamation lawsuit by the Judge Rotenberg Educational Center after criticizing the center's use of electro-shock devices. That month, FIRE challenged the
New York State Senate The New York State Senate is the upper house of the New York State Legislature, while the New York State Assembly is its lower house. Established in 1777 by the Constitution of New York, its members are elected to two-year terms with no term l ...
's practice of blocking critics on
Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
, representing a resident who had criticized gun control legislation. FIRE filed a lawsuit in December 2022 on behalf of First Amendment scholar
Eugene Volokh Eugene Volokh (; born Yevhen Volodymyrovych Volokh (); February 29, 1968) is an American legal scholar known for his scholarship in American constitutional law and Libertarianism in the United States, libertarianism as well as his prominent leg ...
and online platforms Rumble and Locals, challenging a New York state law that requires social networks to police hate speech on their platforms. Writing in ''The Wall Street Journal'' after the lawsuit was filed, Volokh claimed, "I don't want to moderate such content and I don't endorse the state's definition of hate speech." In February 2023, a federal judge blocked the law, writing that it "chills the constitutionally protected speech of social media users, without articulating a compelling governmental interest or ensuring that the law is narrowly tailored to that goal." In 2022, FIRE filed a lawsuit against the city of
Eastpointe, Michigan Eastpointe (formerly East Detroit) is a city in Macomb County in the U.S. state of Michigan. An inner-ring suburb of Detroit, Eastpointe borders Detroit to the south, roughly northeast of Downtown Detroit. As of the 2020 census, the city had ...
and its mayor, Monique Owens. The lawsuit alleged that Owens unconstitutionally shut down residents' criticism of her during the public comment period of city council meetings. That December, a federal judge issued an injunction that prevented Owens from interrupting or shutting down speakers at council meetings. In April 2024, the city of Eastpointe agreed to a settlement with FIRE that designated September 6 (the day that Owens shouted down residents) as “First Amendment Day." In 2024, FIRE represented an Arizona mother who was arrested at a city council meeting for criticizing a public official, with
Maricopa County Maricopa County () is a county in the south-central part of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2020 census the population was 4,420,568, or about 62% of the state's total, making it the fourth-most populous county in the United States and ...
Judge Gerald Williams ultimately throwing out the charges. In 2025, FIRE announced that it would defend Iowa pollster Ann Selzer against a consumer fraud lawsuit from
President-elect An ''officer-elect'' is a person who has been elected to a position but has not yet been installed. Notably, a president who has been elected but not yet installed would be referred to as a ''president-elect'' (e.g. president-elect of the Un ...
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
over a poll released ahead of the
2024 United States presidential election United States presidential election, Presidential elections were held in the United States on November 5, 2024. The Republican Party (United States), Republican Party's Ticket (election), ticket—Donald Trump, who was the 45th president of ...
which incorrectly predicted that Trump's opponent
Kamala Harris Kamala Devi Harris ( ; born October 20, 1964) is an American politician and attorney who served as the 49th vice president of the United States from 2021 to 2025 under President Joe Biden. She is the first female, first African American, and ...
would win the state of Iowa. FIRE called the lawsuit "the very definition of a 'SLAPP' suit — a
Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation Strategic lawsuits against public participation (also known as SLAPP suits or intimidation lawsuits), or strategic litigation against public participation, are lawsuits intended to censor, intimidate, and silence critics by burdening them with ...
."


Media, advertising, and sponsorships

Since 2011, FIRE has published a list of the "worst colleges for free speech". Since 2016, FIRE has produced "So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast", hosted by Perrino. FIRE partnered with Korchula Productions and the DKT Liberty Project to produce '' Can We Take a Joke?'', a documentary released in 2016 about comedy and speech. In 2017, FIRE was listed as one of the sponsors of the conservative campus group
Turning Point USA Turning Point USA (TPUSA) is an American nonprofit organization that advocates for Conservatism in the United States, conservative politics on high school, college, and university campuses. It was founded in 2012 by Charlie Kirk and Bill Montgo ...
's Student Action Summit, according to tax records. In 2020, FIRE released '' Mighty Ira'', a documentary about Ira Glasser, focusing on his advocacy for free speech and civil rights. ''
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'' described it as "a warm portrait that poses ever-urgent questions." ''
The Times of Israel ''The Times of Israel'' (ToI) is an Israeli multi-language online newspaper that was launched in 2012 and has since become the largest English-language Jewish and Israeli news source by audience size. It was co-founded by Israeli journalist Dav ...
'' said the documentary "initiates a war between your head and your gut." In 2022, FIRE produced an advertisement featuring National Basketball Association (NBA) player Enes Kanter Freedom for the 2022 Winter Olympics in China, supporting freedom of speech. Freedom also shared his personal story about censorship in his home country of Turkey.


See also

*
Heterodox Academy Heterodox Academy (HxA) is a Nonprofit organization, nonprofit advocacy group of academics working to counteract what they see as a lack of viewpoint diversity on college campuses, specifically political diversity. The organization was founded in ...
* '' Urofsky v. Gilmore''


References


External links

* *
Organizational Profile
National Center for Charitable Statistics The National Center for Charitable Statistics (NCCS) is a clearing house for information about the U.S. economy as it relates to nonprofit organizations. The National Center for Charitable Statistics builds national, state, and regional databases ...
(
Urban Institute The Urban Institute is a Washington, D.C.–based think tank that conducts economic and social policy research to "open minds, shape decisions, and offer solutions". The institute receives funding from government contracts, foundations, and p ...
) {{DEFAULTSORT:Foundation For Individual Rights In Education Freedom of expression organizations Civil liberties advocacy groups in the United States Freedom of speech in the United States + 501(c)(3) organizations Organizations established in 1999 1999 establishments in Pennsylvania