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Fordham鈥檚 FIREfor Justice in Palestine group should be celebrating its sixth anniversary. Instead, it鈥檚 still fighting to be recognized.
We are approaching what should be the six-year anniversary of the founding of FIREfor Justice in Palestine at Fordham University. But rather than celebrating, students at Fordham are conducting a in the latest effort to get the student group reinstated after last year鈥檚 disappointing court ruling that allowed the university to violate its own promises and policies regarding free speech and once again deny SJP recognition based on its viewpoint, which administrators claimed would lead to 鈥減olarization鈥 on campus.
SJP鈥檚 current campaign, which a spokesperson to The Fordham Ram as a way to 鈥減ut pressure on the administration and make them know that we鈥檙e here to stay,鈥 includes a supporters can email to Fordham administrators. The template states in part:
Fordham students have fought a long battle for the university to recognize SJP. The scrutiny and censorship that SJP has been put through is a clear violation of Fordham University鈥檚 own declared free speech policies. It is outrageous that a university that preaches Jesuit values will go to such lengths to suppress a group of students advocating for Palestinian rights. The university must not bow to racist outside pressures and stop censoring student, especially Palestinian, voices. It is incumbent that Fordham stand with the principles of academic freedom, reinstate SJP, and issue a thorough apology to the students.
FIRE has written extensively about Fordham鈥檚 shameful decision to ban the student group because of its political beliefs. A quick recap: On Nov. 19, 2015, students submitted an application to form a chapter of SJP at Fordham. Almost exactly one year later on Nov. 17, 2016, the application was approved by the student government. However, that decision was overturned by a Fordham dean, in direct contravention of the school鈥檚 policies and promises. According to Dean of FIREKeith Eldredge, he because he 鈥渃annot support an organization whose sole purpose is advocating political goals of a specific group, and against a specific country鈥 and that 鈥渢he Israeli-Palestinian conflict 鈥 often leads to polarization rather than dialogue.鈥
In fact, the only thing that has been 鈥減olarizing鈥 about this whole affair has been Fordham鈥檚 chilling of free expression on campus and silencing of its own students, despite numerous free speech promises and policies. After a trial court in August 2019 and declared it wrong of Fordham to 鈥渞eject an application of a student club because it criticized the policies of only one nation,鈥 SJP operated 鈥 apparently without incident 鈥 for nearly a year and a half, without whatever fears Fordham administrators held ever materializing. (SJP was represented in the lawsuits by and the .)
SJP enjoyed the same rights and privileges as other student groups at Fordham until a Dec. 22, 2020, state appellate court ruling reversed the lower court decision. FIREfiled an amicus brief on behalf of SJP in the state intermediate appellate court, and another in the state鈥檚 highest court of appeals, which declined to hear the case. We maintain that the intermediate appellate court was wrong in its decision that allowed Fordham administrators to deny SJP recognition.
At some point Fordham administrators will have to reckon with the same thing that inevitably happens to anyone who routinely breaks their promises: consequences, and accountability.
With the judiciary stamping its seal of approval on administrators鈥 ability to disregard Fordham鈥檚 free-speech promises and ban student groups whose politics they don鈥檛 like, Fordham followed through and revoked SJP鈥檚 recognition. This was done without due process or apparently any consideration whatsoever for the impact that would have on the university鈥檚 reputation for free expression 鈥 which was already far from sterling. FIREhas thrice named Fordham one of the 10 Worst Colleges for Free Speech, and it is classified by FIREas a 鈥渞ed light鈥 institution, meaning at least one Fordham policy clearly and substantially restricts free speech. And students know the climate for free speech is bad, too. Fordham scores miserably in the survey that 果冻传媒app官方, College Pulse, and RealClearEducation conduct, coming in at a dismal #145 out of 159 colleges rated. The survey ranking, determined by feedback from Fordham students, includes this troubling comment from one student:
Anytime that I think of wanting to have a protest on campus I think of the severe punishments that the administration has dealt to students in the past. Fordham鈥檚 campus is not a place for free speech under the current rules in place about public display and protest.
Clearly, Fordham鈥檚 actions have already had a chilling effect on free speech. As my colleague Will Creeley wrote earlier this year after Fordham rescinded SJP鈥檚 recognition, 鈥湽炒絘pp官方, faculty, alumni, and the general public now know 鈥 if there were any doubt 鈥 that Fordham鈥檚 promises of free expression aren鈥檛 worth a dime.鈥
FIRE urges Fordham, for once and for all, to end this campaign of censorship that has sorely damaged the school鈥檚 reputation and pitted administrators against the very students whom they have promised to support. Stop this nonsense.
FIRE also commends the Fordham students who are continuing their fight for recognition and against censorship, and we will continue to support the recognition of SJP at Fordham. Because at some point Fordham administrators will have to reckon with the same thing that inevitably happens to anyone who routinely breaks their promises: consequences, and accountability.
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