BY KELLY HAND
Yesterday, the AAUP shared with members a petition inviting them to ask to have their names added to the Professor Watchlist, a website that purports to expose faculty who “advance leftist propaganda in the classroom.” To counter these alarmist accusations, we will include the names of all who sign the AAUP petition–open to nonmembers also–in an open letter to Turning Point USA, the creator of the Watchlist, asking them to add those names to their website. Our purpose is to support faculty who have been listed already and to challenge an attack on academic freedom that could have a chilling effect on free speech in classrooms.
Since yesterday, about 5,000 people have signed the petition, and the numbers are growing by the minute. This groundswell of support for colleagues targeted by the Watchlist sends a powerful message that such efforts to harass and intimidate faculty are unacceptable. Get the word out about the petition by sharing links by e-mail or on social media. Stand in solidarity with fellow faculty and speak out for academic freedom!
