FAIR News: Plaintiff in FIRE Lawsuit Took the Pro-Human Pledge
Newsletter
Dear Friends of FAIR,
On August 17, 2023, our friends at FIRE (the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression) filed a lawsuit against California Community Colleges officials on behalf of six professors in the State Center Community College District. (Click here to read about FAIR-backed lawsuit against De Anza Community College District, brought by Professor Tabia Lee.) The central argument made by the plaintiffs in the complaint is that the First Amendment prohibits public colleges from requiring their faculty members to adopt ideological speech and expression touted by the college. In summarizing the unconstitutional policy of State Center Community College District, FIRE said:
Professors must “acknowledge” that “cultural and social identities are diverse, fluid, and intersectional,” and “advocate for and advance DEI and anti-racist goals and initiatives” including “participating in DEI groups, committees, or community activities that promote systemic and cultural change to close equity gaps and support minoritized groups.” Local college districts are required to evaluate faculty performance and tenure review based on their embrace and use of the state’s views on DEIA.
Of particular interest to all of us at FAIR, is the portion of the complaint that mentions the experiences of plaintiff-professor and FAIR member, James Druley. Professor Druley is a proud FAIR supporter and has taken the FAIR Pro-Human Pledge. The complaint notes that the FAIR pledge likely violates the college’s DEIA Rules requirement that all faculty adopt a “race-conscious” viewpoint. “Druley may be punished for going against the requirement that he ‘advocate for and advance DEI and anti-racist goals and initiatives’ including ‘participating in DEI groups, committee, or community activities that promote systemic and cultural change to close equity gaps and support minoritized groups.’”
We stand with Professor Druley, his co-plaintiffs, and our friends at FIRE. We applaud them for their bravery in advocating for equal treatment of all without regard to skin color, and for the rights of all Americans to free speech and free expression. You can read the case overview and full complaint here.
Warmly,
The Team at the Foundation Against Intolerance & Racism
FAIR is seeking an experienced and philosophically-aligned individual to lead our organization as Executive Director. As the leader of the organization, the Executive Director will be a public-facing example of FAIR’s core principles of fairness, understanding, and humanity. The ED will oversee implementation of FAIR’s strategic vision, developed in collaboration with the board of directors and other stakeholders, and will ensure its long term growth and success by raising and earning funds and developing a team that can carry out programming to help us reach our vision.
The executive director reports to the FAIR board of directors, who will work closely with the executive director on strategy, development of budgets, fundraising, and ensuring that the organization’s communications are in line with its values. Read FAIR board member Angel Eduardo’s letter regarding the position and why FAIR is needed now more than ever. The deadline to apply for this position is Thursday, August 31st!
Endo’s Guidelines for Gender Dysphoria: Problems & Solutions with Do No Harm
Join FAIR in Medicine and Do No Harm, TODAY Thursday, August 24th from 8 - 9:30pm EST, to discuss the Endocrine Society’s Guidelines for treating gender dysphoria in minors. What role do these guidelines play in medical care and legal challenges? How do those with concerns about the guidelines have their voices heard? Hear from Do No Harm’s Dr. Roy Eappen, endocrinologist, and Ian Kingsbury, PhD, Director of Research about their initiatives to promote critical appraisals of the guidelines, robust debate, and the highest quality care for youth suffering from gender dysphoria.
Parent Advocacy Training: Engaging School Boards
Join FAIR in Education fellow Tanya Simons on Thursday, September 21st from 7 - 8pm EST for a meeting in which you will learn how to effectively engage school board members and other decision makers. School boards make decisions that directly impact the education your child receives. Learn how to effectively advocate on behalf of your child in the public education system.
SEL, Surveys, and Student Data: What Parents Need to Know
Join us on Tuesday, September 26th from 7 - 8:30pm EST for a 60 minute webinar followed by 30 minutes of Q&A about parental rights and the harms of the seemingly innocuous surveys that students are being asked to take in schools.
What is transformative Social Emotional Learning? Which surveys and screeners do schools commonly use, and how are they being used to collect student data? Could the content of these be harmful to your child’s mental health? What are your rights and responsibilities as a parent to protect your child from these data collection tools?
This webinar will explore the application and implications of screeners and surveys used to collect data on K-12 students in the domains of Social Emotional Learning and mental health. Panelists include child and adolescent psychiatrist and FAIR in Medicine Fellow Dr. Lauren Schwartz, school law and FAIR Network Attorney Daniel Rhoads, and SEL consultant Jennifer McWilliams. Each panelist brings their own expertise on this important topic.
Genspect Presents: The Bigger Picture, a Healthy Approach to Sex and Gender
Save the date! November 4th and 5th, join friend of FAIR, Genspect, for a conference in Denver, Colorado on gender care and the thought leaders creating better solutions. The tickets go on sale exclusively to friends of Genspect today! Friends of Genspect also receive a 25% discount off all events.
Dr. Tabia Lee: Rejecting the DEI Orthodoxy From Within DEI
The threats to our democracy of not speaking up, of not saying something, of not working with other similar-minded individuals, are too great. This is a moment we have; we can make a positive change, not just in our local communities but in the nation. It's a world where every person feels free to be themselves and [know] they're not going to be canceled or eliminated for having a different viewpoint or approach. There's space for everyone here.
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FAIR Educators Alliance & Other Networks
Connect with other pro-human educators through the FAIR Educators Alliance. We bring together educators from all levels to share experiences and work on developing resources that can support teachers, community members, and FAIR chapters.
Teachers, administrators, librarians, and educators of all kinds are welcome. For more information and to join any of these networks, please email educators@fairforall.org.
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Take the Pro-Human Pledge and help promote a common culture based on fairness, understanding, and humanity.
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Share your reviews and incident reports on our FAIR Transparency website.
This article by Erec Smith and Jason Littlefield in "Free Black Thought" contrasts traditional SEL (Social and Emotional Learning) with Transformative SEL:
https://freeblackthought.substack.com/p/social-emotional-learning