Free speech on campus has been a big topic in 2023, with the president of one university stepping down and other presidents under criticism.

Safe space for free speech? Not so fast, says Lena Shapiro, a clinical assistant professor and inaugural director of the First Amendment Clinic at the University of Illinois College of Law.

“Traditionally, you would think that there would be more freedom of speech on campus,” said Shapiro. “There are exceptions, and, unfortunately, in the last couple of months, we have seen certain expressions of speech which are not protected by the First Amendment: locking students in the building, obviously intimidating students, death threats against students. But the free speech atmosphere has been declining, especially in the last few years.”

Shapiro says the enforcement of “speech codes” varies – depending on, as she put it, the bias of the person doing the enforcing.

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