Jefferson Council Joins Amicus Brief In Virginia Tech Free Speech Case

Written By James Bacon

Washington, D.C. (September 19, 2023) – The Alumni Free Speech Alliance (AFSA) and alumni groups from nine colleges and universities, including the Jefferson Council, submitted a brief amicus curiae to the U.S. Supreme Court yesterday [supremecourt.gov ] urging the court to hear a case brought by Speech First over the issue of bias reporting practices and procedures at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.Charles Davis, the President of AFSA explained that “the use of bias reporting systems has become pervasive across American college and university campuses and these systems create a climate of fear and intimidation that causes many students to self-censor and discourages constitutionally protected speech. These bias reporting systems have no place at a university whose defining purpose as a place of learning and human fulfillment can only be achieved through a steadfast commitment to free speech.”AFSA is an alliance of alumni groups from 22 colleges and universities with more than 50,000 alumni, faculty and student supporters. AFSA and its related groups seek to support free speech, academic freedom and viewpoint diversity at American colleges and universities.The alumni groups joining AFSA in submitting the brief amicus curiae are:University of California Free Speech Alliance:Cornell Free Speech AllianceDavidsonians for Freedom of Thought and DiscourseThe Generals Redoubt (Washington & Lee University) HarvardAlumni for Free SpeechThe Jefferson Council of the University of VirginiaMIT Free Speech AlliancePrincetonians for Free SpeechUNC Free Speech AllianceQuestions to AFSA may be directed to Charles Davis at (301) 531-5174 orinfo@alumnifreespeechalliance.org.

James Bacon

After a 25-year career in Virginia journalism, James A. Bacon founded Bacon’s Rebellion in 2002 a blog with the goal of “Reinventing Virginia for the 21st Century.” Its focus is on building more prosperous, livable and sustainable communities. In recent years he has concentrated more on the spread of “woke” ideology in K-12 schools, the criminal justice system, higher education, and medicine.

In 2021, he co-founded The Jefferson Council to preserve free speech, intellectual diversity, and the Jeffersonian legacy at his alma mater the University of Virginia. He previously served as the organization’s executive director, now serving as congributing editor.

Aside from blogging, Bacon writes books. His first was Boomergeddon: How Runaway Deficits Will Bankrupt the Country and Ruin Retirement for Aging Baby Boomers — And What You Can Do About It, followed by Maverick Miner: How E. Morgan Massey Became a Coal Industry Legend and a work of science fiction, Dust Mites: the Siege of Airlock Three.

A Virginian through-and-through, Bacon lives in Richmond with his wife Laura.

https://www.baconsrebellion.com/wp/
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