was being punished for “standard conservative takes on very important social issues” and called the university’s actions “bullshit.” She said the hearing board report, which she referred to as both “brazen and absurd,” indicates “there is one and only one set of very narrowly defined statements or opinions that one can make about these sacred, protected groups—and Blacks of course being the main sacred, protected group.”
The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression continued defending Wax Monday, calling for Penn to reverse its punishment.
“Simply calling a faculty member unprofessional, absent serious misconduct like sexual misconduct and research fraud, it’s not enough” to warrant this punishment, said Zach Greenberg, a First Amendment attorney at FIRE. He said academic freedom is meant to protect controversial speech and viewpoints “even when they may offend others.”
“If there is evidence that her grading is based on race or other improper factors,” Greenberg said, “Penn has not shown that.”