The 40th Annual Jefferson B. Fordham Debate commenced Thursday, Nov. 20 to discuss “institutional neutrality and other academic freedom controversies,” at the S.J. Quinney College of Law. The event, hosted by the U’s law school, featured a back and forth discussion between two lawyers with a mediator.
Context
Utate law requires universities to maintain “institutional neutrality,” which means “an institution of higher education does not take positions on political, social, or cultural controversies, public debates or flashpoint moments,” according to the Utah System of Higher Education.
The speakers, Nadine Strossen and Jameel Jaffer, are law professors at New York Law School and Columbia University, respectively. The event lasted 90 minutes, beginning with a moderated debate between speakers that concluded with questions from the audience.
After the debate, the moderator asked questions submitted by the audience, which ranged from the U’s academic partnership with Ariel University, an Israeli institution located in the occupied West Bank, to the U’s position on Charlie Kirk’s assassination, which took place 45 minutes south in Orem. Ariel University’s location is illegal per the Geneva Conventions, according to the United Nations.
Pro-neutrality
Jaffer, who spoke in opposition of a university’s obligation to remain neutral, argued that universities are unable to remain completely neutral, as they must make choices regarding how they spend their time and resources, as well as what other institutions they choose to collaborate with…