CUNY plans free speech task force amid criticism on response to pro-Palestinian protests

The City University of New York is convening a task force on free speech amid pushback over its response to protests critical of Israel, Chancellor Félix Matos Rodríguez announced during this year’s State of the University address Wednesday.

The working group is tasked with developing a systemwide policy across its 25 campuses to submit to the CUNY board of trustees for approval. Spokespersons could not say when the recommendations are due or who will sit on the committee.

“What has also become clear over the past year is the tension that can sometimes arise between our zero tolerance for hate and bigotry of any kind, our need for the safe and orderly operation of our campuses, and our commitment to the free exchange of ideas,” Matos Rodríguez said at City Tech in Downtown Brooklyn.

“Today, I am announcing that we will be convening a Freedom of Expression Working Group,” he continued, “that reflects the purpose and nature of a university and considers the appropriate balance of interests recognized by the First Amendment and the principles of academic freedom.”

CUNY has faced criticism from students, faculty and civil liberties groups over the school system’s use of police to quell campus protests and cooperation with a state-ordered probe into allegations of antisemitism. That review, led by former New York State Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman, ultimately directed CUNY to overhaul its policies to protect Jews from discrimination.

Graduation cancellations 

Last spring, a group of CUNY School of Law students sued over the cancellation of student graduation speeches that had been used to advocate for the Palestinian cause at the previous two graduations, saying it infringed on their free-speech rights. The case was voluntarily dismissed over the weekend, according to court records. Attorneys for the students and spokespersons for CUNY Law did not immediately comment.

In his speech, Matos Rodríguez said the working group and the message it sends about the importance of free speech on college campuses is something many people affiliated with CUNY, such as its faculty governance body, which provides input on university policy, have “wanted to see for some time.”

The task force follows other efforts by CUNY to respond to campus tensions over the Israel-Hamas War, including creating an advisory council on Jewish life and a forthcoming center focused on inclusion and belonging, whose interim leader will be announced in the “near future,” the chancellor added.

“I look forward to our collaborative work ahead,” Matos Rodríguez said.