Author: Chris Hoofnagle
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Reges Wins Speech Case at Ninth Circuit
“The public university occupies a central place in the law of the First Amendment. The First Amendment protects the free exchange of ideas. The university is a primary generator and repository of ideas, a place in which unfettered academic debate and open discourse promotes the search for truth and prepares students for a discordant world…
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UC Riverside Faculty Call for Common Defense
Earlier this month, the UC Riverside Division of the Academic Senate adopted a resolution calling for the creation of Mutual Academic Defense Compacts among universities. The proposal urges the University of California system—and California higher education more broadly—to develop formal, collective mechanisms to defend academic freedom, free expression, institutional autonomy, and the research enterprise in…
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BIFI letter on Peyrin Kao disciplinary case
Dear Chancellor Lyons, EVCP Hermalin, and Chair Stacey: As faculty dedicated to improving the climate for free inquiry at Berkeley, we write to express our concern about the recent discipline of lecturer Peyrin Kao, which raises procedural and substantive questions about academic freedom. We are concerned that at least one of the actions for which…
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Nativ Suit Settlement
A visiting professor, Yael Nativ, sued the Regents earlier this year. BIFI’s statement summarized the allegation as, “The complaint alleges that a department denied Dr. Nativ’s application to return as visiting professor because of her Israeli national origin, with the department chair citing fear of controversy as a reason for declining to host her class…
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Lecturer Disciplined for Advocacy
The Daily Cal reports: UC Berkeley administration has suspended lecturer Peyrin Kao for the spring 2026 semester without pay for pro-Palestinian political remarks made in the classroom. The administration’s rationale is available here.
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Letter on the TPUSA Event
An open letter sent by the executive committee of the Berkeley Initiative for Free Inquiry (BIFI) to UC Berkeley Chancellor Rich Lyons and UCPD Chief Yogananda Pittman, regarding the November 10, 2025 Turning Point USA event. Dear Chancellor Lyons and Chief Pittman, As faculty dedicated to promoting free inquiry at UC Berkeley, we write 1)…
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Panel on Release of Names
Video is now available from the BFA/UC-AFT/BFF2L Academic Freedom and the Release of Names panel.
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Berkeley Accreditor Drops DEI from Standards Requirements
Inside Higher Education reports: The Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior College and University Commission has formally adopted updated accreditation standards that eliminate all mention of diversity, equity and inclusion.
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BIFI Statement on Investigations
Statement by the Executive Committee, Berkeley Initiative for Freedom of Inquiry As faculty dedicated to promoting free inquiry at UC Berkeley, we write to express our concern about the individualized incident data recently shared with the US Department of Education regarding investigations of students and faculty. It is especially troubling that some of these allegations…
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Berkeley Senate Letter on Records Request
The Berkeley Division of the Senate sent the following letter concerning the release of individualized data.