State-Level Censorship Laws Threaten Academic Freedom, Warns PEN America
WASHINGTON, DC - July 24, 2025 A wave of new state legislation is reshaping higher education oversight across the U.S., significantly curbing academic freedom and institutional autonomy, according to a recent report from PEN America.
Key findings reveal that since 2021, more than 70 bills targeting higher education have been introduced across 26 states—22 of which have become law in at least 16 states. Notably, 21 laws use indirect mechanisms—often cloaked in language like “institutional neutrality” or “viewpoint diversity”—to constrain speech and academic programming without overt bans.
In 2024 alone, five direct “gag orders” targeting classroom speech were enacted, alongside additional laws restricting faculty tenure, diversity initiatives, and governance structures. PEN America describes these developments as “censorship by another name,” where state actors use subtler means such as administrative control, accreditation manipulation, and chilling indirect pressures to shape curricular content and campus governance.
These trends now place nearly 40% of the U.S. population under state-level restrictions that affect public colleges and universities, signaling a broader ideological effort to reshape higher education policy from within.
PEN America warns this escalation will continue through 2025 and calls for proactive institutional responses—legal challenges, coalition-building, and advocacy—to safeguard academic freedom and democratic discourse
https://www.highereddive.com/news/pen-america-state-laws-censor-higher-education/754122/