Compulsory pronoun use in academia? Leave a Comment / Philosophy / By Stephen Hicks Sixth Circuit Court decision, Thapar, Circuit Judge: “Traditionally, American universities have been beacons ofintellectual diversity and academic freedom. They have prided themselves on being forumswhere controversial ideas are discussed and debated. And they have tried not to stifle debate bypicking sides. But Shawnee State chose a different route: It punished a professor for his speechon a hotly contested issue. And it did so despite the constitutional protections afforded by theFirst Amendment. The district court dismissed the professor’s free-speech and free-exerciseclaims. We see things differently and reverse.” A journalistic overview of the case and its context here.