Free speech

The California State Capitol building in Sacramento, CA, March 29, 2026. (Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)

July 30, 2026, 10:01 am

California antisemitism law in schools enforced as free speech challenge defeated

Teachers and students who challenged the law said it chilled discussion in the classroom about Palestinians.

By Shira Li Bartov

Dinaw Mengestu attends the PEN America 2026 Spring Literary Gala at American Museum of Natural History on May 14, 2026 in New York City. (Joy Malone/Getty Images)

July 14, 2026, 4:14 pm

PEN America president, defending Israel’s critics, resigns after report warns of threats to Jewish authors

Dinaw Mengestu criticized the literary free-speech group for failing to defend supporters of the boycott targeting Israel.

By Andrew Lapin

April 15, 2026, 9:31 am

Chronicle poll results: Legislating the distance demonstrators must keep from synagogues and schools

We asked our readers if they support legislation to set limits on how close demonstrators can gather near entrances to synagogues and religious schools. Here's what they said.

By Toby Tabachnick

April 7, 2026, 8:57 am

Chronicle poll question

Would you support legislation to set limits on how close demonstrators can gather near entrances to synagogues and religious schools?

Sample Gates on the campus of Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, June 3, 2010. (IT Communications Office via Wikimedia Commons)

November 7, 2025, 1:48 pm

In Indiana, Jewish studies program upended by politics over Israel and speech

A leadership shakeup, a defunded graduate student and political pressure from above have turned a storied program into a flashpoint for Trump-era campus politics.

By Andrew Lapin

University of Pittsburgh’s School of Law Center for Civil Rights and Racial Justice director Sheila Vélez Martínez led a panel discussion titled “Free Speech and Universities.” (Photo by David Rullo)

November 4, 2025, 12:24 pm

‘Antisemitic speech is constitutionally protected,’ says Georgetown professor

David Cole appeared at Pitt’s Center for Civil Rights and Racial Justice event

By David Rullo

“Palestine Action: The Underground Manual.” (Source: Screenshot)

April 17, 2025, 11:13 am

They have a manual. We need a movement.

Hamas, Hezbollah and those working on their behalf are not supporters of free speech; they are carrying out the will of foreign terrorist organizations.

By Michael Masters

First amendment. (Photo by Brent Payne, courtesy of flickr.com)

March 19, 2025, 9:19 am

American Jews must not give an inch on free speech

Even when words hurt us

By Jeff Zeman

Demonstrators gather outside the Federal Courthouse in New York City to show support for Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil and to demand his release from ICE detention on March 12, 2025. (Mostafa Bassim/Anadolu via Getty Images)

March 13, 2025, 3:05 pm

Debate over Khalil’s deportation sparks tensions as lawmakers clash on free speech

Lawyers for the government are seeking to move the case out of New York, while White House officials are arguing that the Columbia activist poses a national security threat.

By Ben Sales

President Trump posted a message on Truth Social that put social media and college campuses, including Columbia University, on high alert, March 4, 2025. (Truth Social)

March 12, 2025, 3:26 pm

As ICE targets Palestinian activist, some Jews ask if this is the fight they signed up for

Leaders who denounced campus antisemitism caution about the use of the issue as justification for President Trump’s broader agenda.

By Andrew Silow-Carroll

U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C. (Credit: Pixabay)

March 6, 2025, 1:27 pm

Senate panel hearing addresses line between Jew-hatred, free speech

“Antisemitism thrives in loopholes. Congress has the power and the obligation to close them,” Adela Cojab, of the National Jewish Advocacy Center, told the committee.

By Mike Wagenheim

Meta founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg, left, and Joel Kaplan, named in January 2025 as Meta's president of global affairs, descend a staircase after leaving a meeting with a Republican senator in Washington, D.C., Sept. 19, 2019. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

January 15, 2025, 9:24 am

Jewish groups pushed Meta to crack down on hate speech. Now, the company is reversing course.

The company offered “Jews are flat out greedier than Christians” as an example of newly allowed speech.

By Asaf Elia-Shalev

Dave McCormick in 2018 Photo courtesy of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from Washington D.C, via Wikimedia Commons

July 2, 2024, 3:30 pm

Dave McCormick’s Rumble stake draws fire amid hate speech concerns

“It harbors Holocaust deniers, folks who have been thrown off of other platforms, white nationalistic stuff. It’s promoted vaccine misinformation,” Frankel said.

By David Rullo

With reliance on scholarship, curricula address present concerns. (Photo by Marco Verch via Flickr at https://rb.gy/a4cdfa)

February 2, 2024, 4:47 pm

Classrooms Without Borders shares Israel-Hamas curricula, but some local educators can’t talk about it

New resources help teachers and students navigate the moment, but with knowledge comes difficulty

By Adam Reinherz

CMU and Pitt students attended an Oct. 9 rally carrying signs in support of Palestine in its war with Israel started by Hamas. (Photo by David Rullo)

January 9, 2024, 4:50 pm

Local universities struggle with freedom of speech issues following Oct. 7

“The First Amendment does not just protect speech that simply makes everybody feel good and safe,” he said.

By David Rullo