Fewer students accept violence as a way to protest speech, study finds

Nearly one-third of students – 30% – believe it is acceptable, at least in rare cases, to use violence to stop a campus speech, according to a study the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression published Sept. 9.

That marks a decline from last year's record-high percentage of students who said the same, at 34%.

The organization's annual report on the state of free speech at colleges and universities around the country included data gathered from nearly 63,000 students from more than 250 schools from Jan. 2 to June 3. Last year's report – which found a decline in support for free speech, particularly among conservative students – was published one day before Charlie Kirk's assassination.

The Sept. 9 report said Kirk's death had a "profound impact" on student speech, calling it a "jarring year" for free expression on school campuses.

The top school for freedom of speech was the University of Chicago, the third time the school has held the top ranking in seven years. Claremont McKenna College, the top-ranked school last year, came in second.

New York University came in last in FIRE’s report, which listed a handful of incidents that contributed to the ranking. The school was…

Original source: https://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/