Ohio

As protests against Israel's actions in Gaza coupled with demands that Universities divest from companies doing business with Israel spread, there has been increasing political pressure by Congress on University Presidents to crack down on alleged anti-semitic speech. Though the situation that has given the immediate impetus to the protests merits a lengthy analysis of … Continue reading Ohio →

Ohio’s SB 83 and the Pall of Orthodoxies

The latest salvo in the right's war of position has been fired in the State of Ohio in the form of SB 83. It is a no good, horrible, terrible, awful bill. It's passage will effectively make academic freedom and due process a dead letter in Ohio's State Universities.

Beyond Garcetti

In the case of Meriwether v. Shawnee State University, the Sixth District Court of Appeals has now reversed the previous rulings in the case. The previous rulings in the case, following Garcetti v. Ceballos had held that public University and College Professors had no First Amendment rights in the classroom whatsoever. Now the Sixth District … Continue reading Beyond Garcetti →

Dueling Cancel Cultures

This post was edited to incorporate relevant information which I was not aware of when I first wrote it. This information adds perspective to the issue, but it does not undermine my original argument. Recently, a number of prominent media pundits and academics published a letter in Harper's Magazine and elsewhere calling for both Justice … Continue reading Dueling Cancel Cultures →

Ohio’s Free Speech on Campus Bill

The Ohio has recently passed Senate Bill 40 , aka "Forming Open and Robust University Minds Act". It will most likely be signed by the governor, thus creating a State Law to protect the free speech clause of the First Amendment to the US Constitution at Ohio public universities. The bill would bring an end … Continue reading Ohio’s Free Speech on Campus Bill →

No Cheers for Garcetti

A recent lawsuit against my own University by a colleague of mine alleging violation of his First Amendment rights to speech, exercise of religion along and due process has been dismissed on summary judgement in the U.S. District Court for Southern Ohio. The professor in this case is represented by The Alliance Defending Freedom. The dismissal … Continue reading No Cheers for Garcetti →

Conspiracy Theories and Academic Freedom: Part I.

I recently read about the case of Joy Karega, who was dismissed last fall from her tenure track position at Oberlin College for "intellectual dishonesty" in her Facebook posts (for a few more specifics on this case, see also here). The initial objections to her Facebook posts stemmed from their allegedly anti-semitic character. At least one of … Continue reading Conspiracy Theories and Academic Freedom: Part I. →

Reforming Economics Education

There is a good deal of discussion these days about what is wrong with how economics is taught at the University level. For some examples, see Lars Syll's blog , The Institute for New Economic Thinking, and this recent article in VOX about controversies surrounding Greg Mankiw's Principles of Economics course and text and alternatives to it at Harvard. I've now completed the … Continue reading Reforming Economics Education →

Janus: What is all this fuss Abood?

On June 27, 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court, by a vote of 5-4, ruled in Janus that a provision of the Illinois Public Labor Relations Act which allowed public employee Unions to negotiate "fair share fees" violated the First Amendment rights and the right to free Association of public employees (see also Ohio Revised Code 4117 ). … Continue reading Janus: What is all this fuss Abood? →