What’s The Stanford Effect?

FIRE’s Alex Morey was quoted in the New York Times this year, talking about “the Stanford Effect” on college campuses. But what does “the Stanford Effect” mean?

It all started on March 9 when Judge Stuart Kyle Duncan of the Fifth Circuit was heckled at a Federalist Society event at Stanford Law. The hecklers were enabled and emboldened by Stanford administrators.

The shoutdown made national headlines and reignited the conversation about the role of free speech on college campuses.

Two days after the shoutdown, Stanford Law Dean Jenny Martinez and University President Marc Tessier-Lavigne apologized to Duncan for the university’s failure to uphold its own policies.

It didn’t go over well.

Following intense backlash, Dean Martinez doubled down in a 10-page tour-de-force on free speech in higher education and announced mandatory free speech training for students.

Since Stanford Law’s stand for free speech on campuses, other colleges and universities across the country have followed suit in defending free expression.That same week, the Cornell Student Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution urging the admin to require content warnings before “triggering” material.

In response, Cornell’s President and Provost swiftly rejected the mandate. “Learning to engage with difficult and challenging ideas is a core part of a university education,” they wrote. A few days later, Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi released a video statement supporting “even speech that tests the limits of tolerance.”

In the wake of the Stanford controversy, have colleges and universities have become emboldened to reject the illiberal winds gusting over the past decade?

We hope so.

[balung]

Guy doesn't want ideas at a University!!! So, why is he even there?

[bedminstereric]

If I were a hiring manager at a law firm, I doubt those Stanford students would be worth the squeeze. If I ran a university, I’d fire the administrator—she’s definitely not worth squeezing.

Kudos to the president of Penn State!

[jesseparrish]

Students threatening (or using) force to shut down speakers isn't new. Evergreen is the recent model.

[huckfin]

Still not enough. Each student should have been expelled as clearly displaying actions and behavior that are contrary to any legal professional in areas of due process and constitutional rights

[VolkColopatrion]

Please help please help please help I need help standing up to those who would😢 censor video games. For the past 10 years we have seen a similar moral Panic against games that have"objectionable content ". What was fine 15 years ago is now not fine today. Some agent is acting as a moral busybody and censoring video games

[ES]

Mandatory free speech training for students. That's music to my ears. 🎵

[FifthConcerto]

So, don't hire from Stanford, Cornell, or Penn State graduates anymore. Check.

[brian]

None of this is censorship. No one has a right to come speak to passive, nodding students. Let's stop acting like making the room uncomfortable (or impossible) for a speaker is not a case study for/of free speech in and of itself. "But then others in the audience can't listen..." Yeah yeah, I know. Boo hoo.

If you're going to speak at a college campus, expect criticism. If your topic (or your work) is controversial, expect lots of criticism. If that's not the audience you want, maybe universities aren't the venue for you.