Michigan Tech receives ultimatum from free speech watchdog after removing professor

Dec 9

Disclosure: This reporter is a full-time student at Michigan Technological University.

An event to celebrate the fall of the Berlin Wall on Michigan Tech’s campus last month devolved into a billboard for hate which was defended as constitutionally protected free speech.

An uproar of frustrations, anger, fear, and dismay from faculty, students, and staff only intensified after the Provost removed a professor from his teaching duties for speaking critically of the event and its student organizers. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expressions (FIRE), an organization with deep financial ties to conservative dark money groups, has sent the University an ultimatum to “promptly recommit to honoring faculty’s academic freedom and expressive rights” with a deadline set to expire early next week on Tuesday.

YAF ‘Berlin Wall’ Event

On Nov. 10, the Michigan Tech chapter of Young Americans for Freedom (MTU YAF) hosted an event on campus to celebrate the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. The event, which invited people to spray paint a message on a large canvas, prominently featured hate speech primarily targeting LGBTQ+ groups.

Numerous student organizations and groups expressed their concern about the event. One student submitted an opinion piece to Copper Beacon last week, “Addressing the Culture of Hate at MTU” expressing frustration with the recurring systemic issues that plague minority groups on campus.

Lexi Tater, a student at the University who protested the Nov. 10, event, co-wrote an open letter to Governor Gretchen Whitmer, detailing the incident and requesting assistance to “encourage change that will protect all minorities.”

Tater offered the following comment for this story.

“Speaking out about something that threatens my identity places me in an extremely vulnerable position. [...] It is important for the rest of campus and the community to understand how these events affect the livelihood of LGBTQIA2S+ identifying people, and that it is comforting for other queer people to know that someone is standing up for what is right.”

YAF student chapters have a mixed history of advocacy with the Michigan State University chapter being listed as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) in 2006. The designation came as a direct result of MSU YAF’s activities and messaging on campus.

As reported by PrideSource, “The group had issued an agenda that included the elimination of minority student organizations, the creation of a white council, the creation of a men's council, and hunting down and deporting illegal immigrants in the Lansing area.”

The national organization that MTU YAF is organized under, the Young America’s Foundation (YAF), is notorious for bankrolling provocative speakers on college campuses. A 2017 New York Times article (paywalled) noted that “The speakers have gotten edgier, more-in-your face and sometime [sic] even meanspirited... The resulting clashes on university campuses, including protests and efforts to block speeches, have raised free speech questions."

YAF is also an associate member of the State Policy Network which SourceWatch describes as “a web of right-wing ‘think tanks’ and tax-exempt organizations in 50 states, Washington, D.C., Canada, and the United Kingdom.”

Professor Removed for Criticizing YAF

Students weren’t the only ones to raise their voices in response to the Nov. 10 event.

On Nov. 13, Carl Blair, a professor of Social Sciences, spoke critically of the MTU YAF event and the students who had organized it during his class. A student discretely recorded Blair. The next day, Blair’s comments were shared in a video on YAF’s Twitter and published in an article on YAF’s website.

On the morning of Nov. 16, FOX News published an article titled “Michigan Tech professor attacks conservative student group as 'homophobic, dumb, racist twits'” which featured the video from YAF’s Twitter account.

Later that day, a little after 3 p.m., an email was sent to Blair’s class from the University Provost Andrew Storer. The email informed students that their Friday class was canceled and that another instructor would be taking over for the remainder of the course. This reporter has confirmed the authenticity of this email from multiple sources.

Editor’s Note: Email addresses have been partially redacted.
Dear Global Issues UN1025 students,
As an institution with a strong research focus, Michigan Tech vigorously supports freedom of speech and academic freedom. We follow the Chicago Principles in this manner. With this, we expect an environment of respect and acceptance of diverse perspectives, perhaps most importantly within our classrooms. We regret this has not been your experience in this class this week.
Tomorrow’s class (Friday, Nov. 17) has been canceled, and upon return after the Thanksgiving break we have arranged for a different instructor for the remainder of the semester. You will receive information from your new instructor prior to the first day of class after break.
If you have any questions regarding your class or assignments please contact Dr. Don Lafreniere, chair of the Department of Social Sciences, by email (***@mtu.edu).
If you need support outside of this particular class, I would encourage you to contact the Dean of Students Office at ***@mtu.edu.
I hope you have a happy and restful Thanksgiving week, and we’ll see you a week from Monday.
Sincerely,
Andrew Storer
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs

Carl Blair did not respond to a request for comment before the time of publication.

University Leadership Defends Decision

Nancy Langston, a tenured faculty member in the Social Sciences department, in response to the news of Blair’s removal, said, "I was surprised and dismayed that he was removed from teaching his class for the rest of the semester."

When asked about the response of University Leadership to faculty questions and concerns, Langston shared a document called ‘Provost Talking Points’ which was distributed to department chairs and others at the University on Nov. 20. Langston expressed concerns about the Provost’s interpretation of constitutionally protected free speech of faculty.

“The provost’s talking points [...] appeared to me to be clear limits on my academic freedom and rights in the classroom and campus.”

The ‘Provost Talking Points’ can be read in their entirety below.

Editor’s Note: Email addresses and phone numbers have been partially redacted.
For Situational Awareness
-The Dean of Students office and the Center for Diversity and Inclusion has been actively supporting students who expressed concerns about the Berlin Wall event
-External communications regarding media articles may be forwarded to Heather Herman, Executive Director of Presidential Operations, at 906-***-**** or email ***@mtu.edu
-The Dean of Students office has also been working with a wide-variety of students to elevate the conversations on campus, moving beyond the boundaries of free speech to more elevated conversations
-All inquiries from the media should be directed to Ian Repp in UMC
Talking Points from the University
Background on Free Speech
-Michigan Tech has a high tolerance for/highly values freedom of speech. This creates space for deep exploration and learning. It also creates space where individuals can feel hurt, attacked, or disrespected.
-There are a few limits to free speech (e.g. fighting words, true threats, incitement), but most speech is protected under the First Amendment, including what is commonly referred to as “hate speech.”
-Michigan Tech adheres to the Chicago Principles, which states, “Although the University greatly values civility, and although all members of the University community share in the responsibility for maintaining a climate of mutual respect, concerns about civility and mutual respect can never be used as a justification for closing off discussion of ideas, however offensive or disagreeable those ideas may be to some members of our community.”
-That said, we encourage students and other members of the university community to be leaders in addressing these complex topics. Not only content thought leaders, but leaders in respectful discourse.
-It is also important to note that the university intentionally does not take positions or make statements on issues of social or political debate. As articulated in the Kalven Report (a precursor to the Chicago Principles), “The neutrality of the university as an institution arises then not from a lack of courage nor out of indifference and insensitivity. It arises out of respect for free inquiry and the obligation to cherish a diversity of viewpoints.”
Classroom Settings
-Michigan Tech strongly values academic freedom, allowing faculty to freely express ideas within the scope of their course content and to teach those concepts in their classrooms.
-That instruction must also be respectful.
-There is not unlimited free speech in the classroom either for faculty or students.
-Faculty are speaking as representatives of the university in their classrooms - not in their individual capacity.
-Instances where an instructor makes derogatory statements in such a manner as may cause reasonable students to not feel comfortable sharing or discussing their diverse perspectives, which includes political and social viewpoints, or may cause students to reasonably question if they will be graded fairly or impartially compel the institution to take necessary action to address the situation and uphold its responsibilities in ensuring all students are able to access their educational opportunities.
Thank you for your patience as these talking points were prepared, and for sharing communications about these important topics.
With best wishes for the weekend
Andrew
*********************************
Andrew J. Storer
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs
Michigan Technological University
1400 Townsend Drive
Houghton, MI 49931-1295
Pronouns: he/him/his

Langston reached out to the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expressions (FIRE) and shared the ‘Provost Talking Points’.

“I selected FIRE because they are non-partisan and well-recognized for their defense of free speech on campus, and they have a public university faculty rights hotline for cases such as this,” she said.

FIRE Demands Action from the University

On Dec. 5, FIRE sent a six-page letter to University President Richard J. Koubek. FIRE’s letter expressed deep concerns that the removal of Carl Blair from his course and the subsequent talking points circulated by the provost could constitute violations of court precedent which upholds faculty's right to free expression in classroom settings.

“We appreciate that Storer’s message notes Michigan Tech’s awareness of its special obligations as a public university under the First Amendment to uphold faculty’s rights to free expression and academic freedom. However, the university betrays those obligations by warning all faculty against expressing protected personal opinions in class and punishing faculty who do.”

FIRE concluded its letter by presenting an ultimatum to the University.

“Given [the] urgency of this matter, we request a substantive response no later than close of business on December 12, 2023, confirming Michigan Tech will promptly recommit to honoring faculty’s academic freedom and expressive rights.”

It is unclear what repercussions the University may face for failing to comply with FIRE’s request.

The University did not respond to multiple requests for comment on internal University documents obtained for this story, the removal of Carl Blair from his teaching duties, or FIRE’s letter.

This is far from the first time that FIRE has engaged with Michigan Tech.

At the start of the 2023-24 school year FIRE ranked Michigan Technological University number one in upholding student free speech in the country out of roughly 250 academic institutions surveyed. Michigan Tech’s ranking can be viewed on FIRE’s website.

Early in 2023, FIRE published a press release commending University Leadership for overruling the student government to provide funding for a conservative speaker.

“FIRE commends Michigan Tech for taking this crucial action. Public universities are obligated to consider funding decisions in a viewpoint-neutral manner so as to not violate the First Amendment. Of course, shared governance is important and should typically be respected, but student governments are also bound by the First Amendment to protect students’ expressive rights.”

Copper Beacon covered this story extensively.

In 2011, FIRE published another press release commending the University for rewriting sexual harassment policies to uphold constitutionally protected free speech.

“Michigan Technological University, home to two "red light" sexual harassment policies [...] to its credit, was quick to respond to our mass mailing, replying on January 11 with a request for policy review and analysis. [...] Happily, Michigan Tech's response to our policy review, dated July 22, is an encouraging and promising one. In its response, the university states that the two policies in question ‘were in the process of being reviewed and changed’ and that ‘the items which you address will be removed from all University related publications.’”

FIRE is not without controversy itself, according to reporting from SourceWatch, “FIRE is a major proponent of the intellectual diversity movement which aims to dismantle the so-called liberal bias in higher academia.” SourceWatch additionally reports ties to conservative dark money groups including the Koch Brothers and the Bradley Foundation and lists FIRE as a “[Former] member of the State Policy Network”, the same network that YAF is an associate member of.

With FIRE’s deadline for the University to provide a “substantive response” set to expire early next week, coverage of this story is ongoing.