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BSUAAUP @bsuaaup.bsky.social · 16d

Read and sign our petition:
bsuaaup.com/aaup-public-...

AAUP Public Statement on Freedom of Expression at Ball State University - BSU AAUP

Add your name to this list by filling out this form:

bsuaaup.com

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BSUAAUP @bsuaaup.bsky.social · 16d

Dr. Sarah Vitale, secretary of our chapter, delivers some excellent comments and insight in this article by the NYT.

See our petition in the comments. We are up to at least 352 signatures and still collecting them.
@aaup.org @sarahvit82.bsky.social

www.nytimes.com/2025/09/29/u...

She Was Fired for a Comment on Her Private Facebook Account

www.nytimes.com

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BSUAAUP @bsuaaup.bsky.social · 20d

You're up now! Thanks for signing!

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BSUAAUP @bsuaaup.bsky.social · 20d

The petition doesn't auto-populate with new signatures. We review the names and add them in batches. Be patient if your name doesn't appear immediately.

BSUAAUP @bsuaaup.bsky.social · 20d

It doesn't autopopulate. We review the names and add them in batches.

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BSUAAUP @bsuaaup.bsky.social · 20d

Read our statement on Freedom of Expression at Ball State University signed by hundreds of BSU faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community members from across the political spectrum.

You can add your name too, using the form at the bottom of this page:

bsuaaup.com/aaup-public-...

AAUP Public Statement on Freedom of Expression at Ball State University - BSU AAUP

Add your name to this list by filling out this form:

bsuaaup.com

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BSUAAUP @bsuaaup.bsky.social · 21d

We are proud of our students for reaching across the aisle and uniting against the suppression of free expression at Ball State University. Protecting free expression is a nonpartisan issue!

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Reposted by BSUAAUP

ACLU of Indiana @acluindiana.bsky.social · 23d

“People do not forfeit their First Amendment rights when they are hired by government institutions. Public employees are free to speak on matters of public concern, so long as they are speaking as private citizens..."

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BSUAAUP @bsuaaup.bsky.social · 25d

Please see our official statement regarding the termination of BSU employee Suzanne Swierc. Click the following link for the full statement: bsuaaup.com/response-to-...
@aaup.org

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BSUAAUP @bsuaaup.bsky.social · 28d

This led to the lifting of the gag rule and raised awareness of Northern state citizens that slavery was not just an issue confined to the South, but was affecting the rights of all citizens. Read more here: constitutioncenter.org/the-constitu...

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The Gag Rules (1835-1840)

National Constitution Center Historic Documents Library record for The Gag Rules (1835-1840)

constitutioncenter.org

BSUAAUP @bsuaaup.bsky.social · 28d

In 1836, the House passed a resolution to table all petitions without review. Representative John Quincy Adams opposed this gag rule using several tactics, ultimately arguing that the 1st Amendment’s right to petition the government was being violated.

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BSUAAUP @bsuaaup.bsky.social · 28d

The final portion of the 1st Amendment, the right to petition the government, is often not discussed but was pivotal to begin the end of slavery in the US. In 1834, the American Anti-Slavery Society began a drive to send anti-slavery petitions to DC, generating over 130,000 petitions!

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BSUAAUP @bsuaaup.bsky.social · 28d

@aaup.org has released several statements in defense of the right to peaceful protest and speech, and condemning the administrative policies in many universities that have made the freedom of assembly more difficult on campus:
www.aaup.org/news/aaup-co...

AAUP Condemns Wave of Administrative Policies Intended to Crack Down on Peaceful Campus Protest

As an apparent reaction to student protests since last October, a number of college and university administrations have hastily enacted overly restrictive policies dealing with the rights to assemble ...

www.aaup.org

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BSUAAUP @bsuaaup.bsky.social · 28d

Much like the militarized response to the 1970 Kent State protesters, many student protesters faced militarized law enforcement responses to the Palestine protests.
www.aaup.org/news/defense...

In Defense of the Right to Free Speech and Peaceful Protest on University Campuses

The AAUP and its chapters defend the right to free speech and peaceful protest on university campuses, condemn the militarized response by institutional leaders to these activities, and vehemently opp...

www.aaup.org

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BSUAAUP @bsuaaup.bsky.social · 28d

Read Professor Magarian's reflection here:
www.governing.com/politics/fro...

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From Kent State to L.A.: Echoes of a Dark Past in Protest Crackdown

Trump's decision to deploy the National Guard against anti-deportation protesters is sadly familiar after other attacks on the First Amendment.

www.governing.com

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BSUAAUP @bsuaaup.bsky.social · 28d

The shift has been towards protecting the speech of corporations and the wealthy, rather than prioritizing the speech and assembly of more politically vulnerable and/or marginalized groups:
openscholarship.wustl.edu/cgi/viewcont...

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openscholarship.wustl.edu

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BSUAAUP @bsuaaup.bsky.social · 28d

The freedom of assembly is enshrined in our Constitution through the First Amendment. However, law professor Gregory P. Magarian asserts that after the tragedy of Kent State in 1970, the U.S. Supreme Court has shifted its focus.

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BSUAAUP @bsuaaup.bsky.social · 28d

L.B. Sullivan, a pro-segregation police chief, sued the New York Times for defamation when it published an advertisement about the civil rights abuses committed by officers following Sullivan’s orders. The U.S. Supreme Court decided in favor of the New York Times
www.thefire.org/research-lea...

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First Amendment freedoms developed during the Civil Rights Movement

As southern states and segregationists used their laws and courts to stifle political opponents, proponents of equal rights worked to secure many of the civil liberties we hold dear today.

www.thefire.org

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BSUAAUP @bsuaaup.bsky.social · 28d

The Civil Rights Movement was integral to advancing First Amendment protections of both the freedom of the press and the freedom of assembly. Regarding freedom of the press, New York Times Co. v. Sullivan (1964) is a pivotal U.S. Supreme Court case.

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BSUAAUP @bsuaaup.bsky.social · 28d

This freedom limits the government's control or censorship over the media, except in the most severe national security risk potential. Read more about how the Press is protected and what kinds of media are protected here:
www.law.cornell.edu/wex/freedom_...

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freedom of the press

www.law.cornell.edu

BSUAAUP @bsuaaup.bsky.social · 28d

While we prepare a statement in light of recent BSU decisions, we will continue highlighting our First Amendment protections. Freedom of the press is the protected right to freely publish communications and expressions of opinions through various forms of media.

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BSUAAUP @bsuaaup.bsky.social · 28d

The Ball State chapter of @aaup.org is preparing a statement in response to this decision by BSU leadership. We are especially troubled that leadership made this decision on Constitution Day, when we are highlighting the freedoms protected by the First Amendment.
www.facebook.com/share/p/17HP...

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BSUAAUP @bsuaaup.bsky.social · 28d

Read the entire BSU Freedom of Expression Statement here: www.bsu.edu/about/freedo...

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www.bsu.edu

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BSUAAUP @bsuaaup.bsky.social · 28d

As the BSU chapter of @aaup.org, we call on BSU leadership to honor this stated commitment to free expression and defend the rights of students and employees to express themselves using constitutionally-protected speech in the public and private spheres without retribution from the University.

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BSUAAUP @bsuaaup.bsky.social · 28d

"Indeed, fostering the ability of members of the University community to engage in such debate and deliberation in an effective and responsible manner is an essential part of our University’s educational mission.”

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