FIRE’s 25 Faces of Free Speech – Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression

Harvard evolutionary biology lecturer Carole Hooven didnt set out to cause controversy, but her research on hormones and behavior led her to conclusions on a third-rail topic that drove a wedge between her and her peers.

After defending the use of the terms male and female in a public interview, Carole endured a media firestorm and backlash from students, professors, and administrators, some of whom publicly disparaged her for simply sharing her views. The professor defended herself, but the environment became so hostile, she ultimately resigned.

Fortunately, her story doesnt end there. In the wake of the controversy, faculty formed the Council on Academic Freedom at Harvard to further free inquiry and intellectual diversity on campus. As an active member of the now-more-than-170-member group, Carole is working toward a Harvard where faculty can fearlessly pursueVeritas.

If there is any silver lining to losing the career that I found so fulfilling, she wrote in The Free Press, perhaps its that my story will help explain the fear that stalks campuses, a fear that spreads every time someone is punished for their speech.

Read the original:
FIRE's 25 Faces of Free Speech - Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression