President Trump is waging war on free speech and academic freedom. And too often, colleges and universities have waved the white flag. Over and over, places of higher education have given in to the Trump administration’s outrageous demands and allowed the federal government to have an unprecedented say in what gets taught and what people can say on college campuses. New York City’s Columbia University is at the center of Trump’s attempts to destroy America’s colleges.

Few have had a better seat to watch this assault on our cherished freedoms than Professor Katherine Franke. Franke is a former tenured law professor at Columbia who was put under investigation by the university in 2024 in the midst of the school’s crackdown on pro-Palestine speech. Then in January, she entered into an agreement with Columbia to leave the school after 25 years as a distinguished professor.

Few people have spoken out with more passion, clarity, and insight about the ongoing siege on academic freedom. On this episode, we speak with Professor Franke about her experience at Columbia, the climate of censorship, fear, and repression at Columbia and schools across the country, and efforts to fight back against Trump’s attacks.

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Guest: Katherine Franke https://www.instagram.com/profkfranke/

Resources:

Follow Professor Katherine Franke: https://www.instagram.com/profkfranke/

Inside Columbia’s Crackdown on Pro-Palestine Free Speech: https://www.nyclu.org/podcast/inside-columbias-crackdown-on-pro-palestinian-free-speech

Mahmoud Khalil in His Own Words: https://www.nyclu.org/podcast/mahmoud-khalil-in-his-own-words

What are the Stakes of Mahmoud Khalil’s Case: https://www.nyclu.org/podcast/what-are-the-stakes-of-mahmoud-khalils-case

NYCLU Letter: Columbia Should Not Capitulate to Trump: https://www.nyclu.org/commentary/letter-columbia-should-not-capitulate-to-trump

For more on everything we discuss in this episode, visit www.nyclu.org/

For transcripts and additional information on the episodes, visit www.nyclu.org/podcasts

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A legion of far-right activists is determined to purge school libraries of books they don't like. A huge percentage of the books they want to get rid of are about race or racism, feature people of color, or include LGBTQ characters. This is a nationwide movement, and New York is not immune. Several New York school districts are facing calls to ban books.

On this episode, we talk to New York Times bestselling author Kalynn Bayron. One of Kalynn’s books, “Cinderella is Dead”, has been targeted by several book ban campaigns. She talks with us about why she wrote the story and why she thinks it’s important for students of all backgrounds to have a diverse set of books to choose from.

Then we chat with an NYCLU expert about book bans in New York and legislation that’s on Gov. Hochul’s desk that would help combat them.

Guests:

Kalynn Bayron, New York Times and Indie bestselling author

Emma Hulse, Education Counsel, NYCLU

Resources:

Check out Kalynn’s books: https://bookshop.org/shop/bloomsburyusa

Tell Gov. Hochul to sign Freedom to Read: https://action.aclu.org/send-message/fight-freedom-read

More from Emma: https://www.nyclu.org/commentary/ny-schools-are-banning-books-heres-what-you-can-do-about-it

More on Freedom to Read: https://www.nyclu.org/uploads/2024/05/Freedom-to-Read-Act-Legislative-Support-Memo-2526_04.14.25.pdf

For more on everything we discuss in this episode, visit www.nyclu.org/

For transcripts and additional information on the episodes, visit www.nyclu.org/podcasts

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In its recent decision in the case, United States v. Skrmetti, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a Tennessee law banning gender-affirming medical care does not violate the Constitution and can remain in effect. The decision is a devastating loss for trans rights and risks emboldening other states to advance similar bans.

The decision comes as the Trump administration and its allies in hostile state governments have made clear they aim to exclude transgender people from public life and eliminate access to abortion across the country.

On this episode, we talk with Chase Strangio, the ACLU lawyer who argued against the Tennessee law in the Skrmetti case. He’ll explain the flawed logic behind the conservative majority’s decision, what it means and what its nationwide implications are.

Then we chat with two NYCLU experts who will explain what the decision means for New Yorkers and what Gov. Hochul can do to shore up access to gender-affirming and abortion care in our state.

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Guests:

Chase Strangio, Co-Director of the ACLU’s LGBT & HIV Project

Allie Bohm, NYCLU senior policy counsel

Jenna Lauter, NYCLU policy counsel

Resources:

Tell Gov. Hochul to sign the bills we discuss on this episode:

https://action.aclu.org/send-message/protect-gender-affirming-care

ACLU response to Skrmetti decision:

https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/aclu-lambda-legal-respond-to-supreme-court-ruling-in-u-s-v-skrmetti

NYCLU response:

https://www.nyclu.org/press-release/nyclu-on-supreme-court-ruling-upholding-tennessees-ban-on-gender-affirming-care

For more on everything we discuss in this episode, visit www.nyclu.org/

For transcripts and additional information on the episodes, visit www.nyclu.org/podcasts

Follow NYCLU on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Bluesky.

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