The Growing Problem of Authoritarians in the Academy

James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal ^ | August 20, 2025 | George Leef

[karpov]

Most Americans firmly believe that educational institutions should be places where all ideas can be discussed and no one need fear reprisal for saying the wrong thing or pursuing the wrong research topic. That ideal, however, is not embraced by all people. There are powerful forces, here and abroad, that want to dominate education in order to advance their goals. They have no qualms about telling students what they must believe or telling faculty members not to research certain topics. Of course, the leaders of our colleges and universities would never cooperate with those authoritarian forces—or would they?

In her book Authoritarians in the Academy, Sarah McLaughlin, a senior scholar at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), explains that our educational leaders are often ready to side with the authoritarians when they think that doing so can bring in more money and enhance the prestige of their institutions. For them, educational ideals are nice and they always pay lip service to them, but other considerations can take priority. The book abounds in disturbing examples. Here is one of them.

In 2022, a group of students at George Washington University (GWU) placed posters that criticized China’s human-rights record and satirized the idea that China should host the Olympics. Their activity prompted a hostile reaction from GWU’s Chinese Students and Scholars Association (CSSA) chapter. It complained to the administration that the posters might incite hatred towards Asian students and went beyond the permissible scope of free expression. The CSSA students demanded that the administration identify and punish those who were responsible for the “insults” to them.

How GWU’s then-president Mark Wrighton responded was shocking.

---

TOPICS: Books/Literature; Education
KEYWORDS: academia; bookreview; censorship; college; education

[Uncle Miltie]

“Growing”?

[TBP]

Metastasizing.

[redfreedom]

Growing problem? It was a growing problem beginning in the 60’s. Today it’s a full blown out of control problem where radicals have completely infested the higher and low education facilities across America.

I have my own belief on this, in that the draft dodgers of the Vietnam war stayed in college to get the deferment long enough to become a professor. They then had the opportunity to preach how good communism is and how bad America is.

My belief is based on a classmate from high school that did just that. Some of them, such as the Clintons and numerous others, went on to become politicians, Hollywood actors and journalists.

[MikelTackNailer]

Note how the Hippies who told us to question authority are now the Authority telling us not to question them.

The hippies became the hypocrites.

[FirstFlaBn]

30 seconds with Google would tell you grad school deferments ended in 1968. A small number could have aged out (over 25 - an unofficial limit)) by then, but your sweeping conclusions lack a factual basis.

[Flatus I. Maximus]

Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss.

[cgbg]

Yup—the “free speech” movement became the crush dissent movement.

[BenLurkin]

The education industry needs to be cut back like an overgrown hedge — or rooted out entirely.

[Varda]

They weren't hypocrites. You just misinterpreted what they were saying. These were the same people who carried around Mao's little book and proclaimed pro-Soviet propaganda. They haven't changed.

[Albion Wilde]

bump