Stanford discovers tenure protection for controversial remarks -- by a progressive professor

The allegations of threatening or abusive conduct to students was the greatest concern for me. However, I have seen no hard evidence of such abuse. The rest, in my view should be treated as protected by free speech and academic freedom. I find Dauber’s views sexist and obnoxious. She has been a leading voice for denying protections for others accused of harassment, assault, or misconduct. Yet, the solution to bad speech is better speech, not sanctions or terminations.

Of course, I am not convinced that Dauber would show the same support for others accused on the other side of the ideological spectrum. …

When these controversies arose, faculty rallied behind the free speech rights of the professors. That support was far more muted or absent when conservative faculty have found themselves at the center of controversies. The recent suspension of Ilya Shapiro is a good example. Other faculty have had to go to court to defend their free speech rights. One professor was suspended for being seen at a controversial protest.

I am skeptical that Stanford would take the same position on a professor who publicly lambasted those defending the rights of women. The test of free speech is not the protection of views that are popular but those which are unpopular with the majority. Stanford ranked in the bottom half of 203 schools on free speech in the recent survey.