FIRE report gives 14 Ohio universities yellow light ratings for free speech policies

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In FIRE’s first report back in 2006, 68.6% of all institutions earned a red light rating. 

“In general, private schools maintain more restrictive speech codes than their public counterparts: Private schools are significantly less likely to earn green light ratings and more likely to earn red light ratings than public schools,” FIRE said in their report. 

A “red light” rating means an institution has “at least one policy that both clearly and substantially restricts freedom of speech or bars public access to its speech-related policies by requiring a university login and password for access,” according to FIRE.

No Ohio universities received a “red light” rating. Nationally, 65 colleges and universities received a “red light” ranking. 

“This gulf widens at public schools, where the number of public schools earning a green light rating (68) eclipses the number of private schools earning a red light rating (37) by over 30,” according to the report. 

About 340 colleges and universities (69.4%) earned a “yellow light” rating, meaning a higher education institution has policies that “could too easily be applied to suppress protected speech or maintains policies that, while clearly restricting freedom of speech, restrict it in more narrow circumstances,” according to FIRE.

Bowling Green State University, Case Western Reserve University, Kent State University, Kenyon College, Miami University of Ohio, Oberlin College, Ohio University, Shawnee State University, Ohio State University, University of Akron, University of Cincinnati, University of Toledo, Wright State University, and Youngstown State University all received a “yellow light” ranking. 

FIRE gives a university a “green light” rating if the written policy does not “seriously threaten student expression,” according to FIRE. 76 universities received a “green light” rating. 

Cleveland State University was the only school in Ohio to receive a “green light” rating, according to the report. 

Ohio Senate Bill 1 took effect last summer that bans diversity efforts, regulates classroom discussion, prohibits faculty strikes, creates post-tenure reviews, puts diversity scholarships at risk, and creates a retrenchment provision that blocks unions from negotiating on tenure, among other things.

Follow Ohio Capital Journal Reporter Megan Henry on X or on Bluesky.

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