US judge blocks UF policy silencing professors

[struggle4progress]

BY: MICHAEL MOLINE - JANUARY 22, 2022 7:00 AM

A federal judge has compared the University of Florida to the Chinese Communist Party functionaries in blocking the university from preventing faculty from testifying in lawsuits challenging DeSantis administration policies ...

... The ruling allows the university to discourage professors from using campus time and resources to participate in litigation, but otherwise bars them from enforcing its conflict of interest rules to prevent professors and staff from testifying in court.

“U.F.’s policy amounts to a prior restraint on speech because it prevents faculty and staff from speaking unless they apply for approval … and U.F. approves their request. In other words, U.F.’s policy allows it to silence speech before it happens,” Walker wrote.

The order applies to the Board of Trustees, university president Kent Fuchs, and to other administrators and attorneys for U.F. ...

https://floridaphoenix.com/2022/01/22/u-s-judge-raps-u-f-s-knuckles-blocks-policy-silencing-testimony-by-professors/

[Piasladic]

1. Thank Goodness!

"In other words, 'U.F.’s policy allows it to silence speech before it happens,' Walker wrote."

I'm embarassed enough for my state's university system.

[struggle4progress]

2. Gag Order on Florida Professors

BY AARON MCDADE ON 1/21/22 AT 6:50 PM EST

... Six professors sued the university over its policy requiring faculty to get approval before testifying as experts in court, saying the university's refusal to allow them to testify in multiple cases because of conflicting views with the state government amounted to a violation of their First Amendment rights, according to the Associated Press.

The lawsuit started when three professors were told they could not testify as experts in a lawsuit challenging a new law that places restrictions on mail-in voting and makes other changes to the state's elections, the Tallahassee Democrat reported ...

Another professor joined the lawsuit after being denied a request to testify in a case over the authority of school districts to require masks, the Democrat reported ...

"Today's decision is a ringing endorsement of the critical importance of faculty free speech and academic freedom to the health of our democracy," David A. O'Neill, an attorney for the professors, told the Florida Politics news website. "The University may no longer prohibit faculty members from sharing their views with courts and the public just because the ruling political party doesn't want to hear their truth" ...

https://www.newsweek.com/judges-ruling-compares-gag-order-florida-professors-china-suppressing-free-speech-1671840

[Jim__]

3. Good for that judge!

[LetMyPeopleVote]

7. US District Judge Mark Walker rules in favor of 3 professors

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[BeckyDem]

4. wow the lengths the cons are working it.

Thank you, judge. What a freakin' mess.


K&R

[SCantiGOP]

5. Explain to the trumpers

that this is actually an example of a First Amendment issue.
AT&T kicking under-performing hysterical outlet OAN off their platform, or not carrying a trump rally, is not.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

6. A win in the fight against authoritarianism.

Link to tweet