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EXCERPT:
A majority of law professors feel that they cannot express their opinions on controversial topics for fear of backlash from students, other faculty, or administrators, according to a new report released by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE).
The report, based on surveys with 1,959 law school faculty members, shows an academic environment in which law school faculty endorse First Amendment principles, but struggle to practice them. FIRE is a free speech advocacy group known for its legal work, College Free Speech Rankings, and university faculty polling — but this new report represents the group’s first foray into law school faculty polling.
Nearly 70 percent of respondents said they wanted protection under the First Amendment for speech that listeners may find “deeply offensive.” But 56 percent admitted to withholding controversial opinions to avoid campus backlash.