As colleges and universities start to make admission offers for the 2025 academic year, allow me to call your attention to something alarming. **While the ideological storm of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) seems to be in retreat, the general environment for free speech on college campuses remains hostile**, especially towards non-progressive students, faculty members and guest speakers.  
  
Earlier this year, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression released its “[2025 Free Speech Rankings,](https://www.thefire.org/research-learn/2025-college-free-speech-rankings)” which surveys over 58,000 college students from 257 schools on campus speech climates and their attitudes about free speech. **Harvard is ranked at the bottom for the second year in a row.** With **20 documented speech controversies** in which expression of unpopular viewpoints was censored, suppressed, or shouted down, America’s oldest and most prestigious private university receives an “Abysmal” speech climate.  
  
Other reputed institutions don’t fare much better. **Columbia** University is ranked #250 with an abysmal rating. Of all those with a 200 or lower ranking, **University of Pennsylvania, Syracuse, Northwestern, Georgetown, Dartmouth, Princeton, Stanford, Cornell, Brown, Fordham, University of Southern California, University of California Davis and UC Berkeley** are on the list.  
  
Notably, Northwestern University (NU), which ranks 231st on students’ level of comfort expressing ideas, 142ndon disruptive conduct, 217th on administrative support of free speech and 163rd on self-censorship, [cancelled](https://www.mindingthecampus.org/2023/10/09/northwestern-cancels-former-trustee/)a former board trustee- Mr. Ben Slivka. Mr. Slivka, who was a Northwestern graduate and donated over $ 7 million to the school, was appointed to the NU Board of Trustees in 1998 and served in that capacity until his tenure concluded in 2018. Last year, a Diversity and Inclusion Officer at the school’s Athletics Department admonished Mr. Slivka for his “racist and/or sexist” comments and demanded he “refrain from any future arranged meetings with Northwestern’s student-athletes.”  
  
The complaint originated from Mr. Slivka’s remarks at a NU Women’s Cross-Country reception, during which he expressed appreciation for **America as a great country that welcomes hard-working immigrants**. Mr. Slivka also commended an athlete for returning back to the sport after childbirth. In other words, showing affection for America is racist, while commenting on motherhood is sexist.  
  
It is no wonder that more students in 2024 (than 2021) find it acceptable to shout down a controversial speaker, block other students from attending a campus speech or use violence to stop a controversial speech. 55% of the students think the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is hard to discuss, while 41% want to avoid discussions on transgender issues/rights. 34% of conservative students engage in self-censorship “very” or “fairly” often. A class of 2024 UC Berkeley student commented:  
  
_“Berkeley seems only tolerant of liberal views. Professors obviously have a liberal learn (with some even taking time to acknowledge what land we're on and gives their pronouns, etc.). There is no chance I'll expose my independent / lean conservative views. I don't feel safe at all. I pretend to be a hardcore liberal on writing assignments because I know the professor won't like me."_  
  
The marketplace of ideas is not free because of overshadowing woke ideologies. The ideological capture is so entrenched that it will take considerable work in the long term to bring cultural and institutional changes. **With persistence and strategy, it is also possible to reverse the trend.** For instance, University of Virginia, Michigan Technological University, Florida State University, Eastern Kentucky University and Georgia Tech receive top free speech ratings. After falling out of top 10 in 2023, Claremont Mckenna College has made a comeback with a ranking of 6. University of South Carolina and Virginia Common Wealth University have made the top 50 after being ranked towards the bottom in previous years.  
  
As Class of 2028 begin their college journeys, I hope that our summary of the FIRE report offers you some insights on higher education. When it comes to this topic, it is not only academic ranking that matters. Parents and students also desire enriching experiences that engage the student in multiple perspectives, including views not shared by the majority or the establishment. Academic competitiveness is jeopardized when academic freedom is threatened.  
  
At CFER, we strive to produce and promote research that helps enlighten the minds and souls of our fellow Americans. If you believe in what we do, will you consider CFER in your [charitable giving](https://www.cferfoundation.org/support) during this holiday season? Help us reach our end-of-year fundraising goal so that we can continue to expand our work and impact.  
  
Thank you!

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The Current State of Free Speech in Higher Ed.

On this Thanksgiving, in a spirit of gratitude, please allow us to thank you for your long-term support of CFER. Without you, we couldn’t have gone this far. In the same spirit, will you please write a thank you letter to your school district board trustees and superintendent, to share an opinion about DEI? While appreciating their hard work throughout the year, whether you like it or not, you may also bring the latest research and trend about DEI to their attention.  
  
Change is on the horizon. **Just before Thanksgiving, Walmart – the world’s biggest retailer,** **[announced](https://cferfoundation.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b78c84756813bc7a3a38500a0&id=7b3624b073&e=0111f1f5cd)** **that it will**  **revamp its DEI commitments**. Walmart will no longer consider race or gender in granting supplier contracts. Nor will the company collect demographic data in assessing subcontractors’ financial eligibility. It will also roll back racial equity training for staff, stop using the term “DEI” in official communications and review its support for LGBTQ advocacy. Walmart is joining a growing list of businesses and educational institutions in doing away with DEI. Check out CFER’s “Defund DEI” list [here](https://cferfoundation.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b78c84756813bc7a3a38500a0&id=f65c6f27aa&e=0111f1f5cd). You may use whatever case you see fit to inform your school district leaders.  
  
More importantly, a Network Contagion Research Institute [study](https://cferfoundation.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b78c84756813bc7a3a38500a0&id=c521cd5086&e=0111f1f5cd) by researchers from Harvard, Rutgers and other prestigious institutions **casts serious doubt on the efficacy of DEI training focused on fighting “systemic oppression.”** Surveying participants’ attitudes towards “anti-oppressive DEI educational materials” in race, religion and caste, the study found that DEI engenders bias, amplifies perceptions of prejudicial hostility, and arouses punitive responses to the perceived bias. In other words, **instead of reducing bias, DEI significantly induces racial prejudice and suspicion, while increases left wing authoritarianism**. Unfortunately, mainstream media [buried](https://cferfoundation.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b78c84756813bc7a3a38500a0&id=b7fb9c691c&e=0111f1f5cd) this important story and opted for amplifying voices of so-called DEI experts. It’s so important for us, we the people, to inform our school district officials the latest research. Show them proof and ask them to follow science.  
  
If you are ready, CFER Executive Director Dr. Wenyuan Wu has prepared a sample [letter](https://cferfoundation.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b78c84756813bc7a3a38500a0&id=2c4fbbf28c&e=0111f1f5cd) for your reference.  
  
On **Saturday morning (10 -11am), December 7th, 2024, we will hold CFER’s online annual donor meeting** to thank our donors and give a presentation on what their contributions have helped CFER achieve this year. We will also discuss the strategies in the years to come**.** Please [register](https://cferfoundation.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b78c84756813bc7a3a38500a0&id=e8deb7abe6&e=0111f1f5cd) here to attend this online presentation. May we ask you for a generous [contribution](https://cferfoundation.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b78c84756813bc7a3a38500a0&id=83e2e4ff21&e=0111f1f5cd) to help CFER close our deficit, if possible?

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This Thanksgiving, send a thank you letter to your local education leaders and share an opinion on DEI!

**Education leaders must hear diverse perspectives on DEI and be willing to share opposing positions with students and teachers. Please use the sample letter as a reference when you engage your local school district leaders in a conversation on DEI. Feel free to modify the letter as you see fit.**

Dear Board Trustees and Superintendent,
 
Happy Thanksgiving! On this traditional American holiday, I hope you are as appreciative to our country and its traditional values of freedom, equality, grit, agency and perseverance as I am. In this spirit, I want to urge you to take immediate actions to safeguard public education in our local schools by doing away with harmful diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).
 
While the cultural establishment and the legacy media often promote how wonderful DEI programs are, there is growing evidence otherwise. Reputed researchers from Harvard, Rutgers and the Network Contagion Research Institute documented many negative effects of carrying out DEI training to combat so-called “systemic oppression.” They found that DEI training exacerbates bias, prejudice and far-left authoritarianism. This is not Fox News or the National Review. Please take a look at the study: https://networkcontagion.us/wp-content/uploads/Instructing-Animosity_11.13.24.pdf.
 
Many universities and companies are ditching DEI. MIT, University of North Carolina, state universities in Texas, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Missouri, Arkansas, and Kentucky are eliminating DEI positions. Boeing, Ford, Lowes, Zoom, and most recently, Walmart are curbing their DEI commitments.
 
We must do better. And you, who are entrusted by our community and local parents with the education, development and edification of our precious next generation, can do better!
 
It is time that our school district catches up and reviews our own policies, programs and activities. Is our Ethnic Studies class designed to teach identities, power and oppression? Do school district employees and teachers need to pledge support to DEI, racial justice or racial equity? Are our students forced to accept DEI as a universally held truth?
 
If DEI is being propagated in our schools, make a decision to defund it. At the minimum, you should provide our students and teachers the opportunity to access opposing arguments for and against DEI. Show them the study and tell them about the growing movement to roll back DEI. Allowing access to such information is the first step against indoctrination.
 
Please take action today. Our kids and our community deserve it.

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Sample Letter to Your School Board Trustees and Superintendent

**Even in one of California's most progressive cities, it is possible for parental rights and common sense to win!**  
  
On this Thursday (11/21/2024), Cupertino Union School District (CUSD) trustees [voted](https://youtu.be/3rFsbdWIwhk?feature=shared) unanimously to adopt [Board Policy 6144](https://go.boarddocs.com/ca/cusdk8/Board.nsf/goto?open&id=DAXQVG6B25CF), adding clear guidelines and guardrails on classroom instruction/discussion regarding controversial issues.

**This is no small feat.** Even though local teachers' unions [coordinated](https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1DSjBfPq4d/) a grossly misleading [campaign](https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Ahg6MfaxL/) to stop the policy from being adopted and mainstream media [weighed in](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/cupertino-gender-pronouns-schools-19907642.php&ved=2ahUKEwi6h6GTnuuJAxUlSDABHWw6JFAQxfQBKAB6BAgOEAE&usg=AOvVaw2eUYdrk3YFyhCq1rtGdCoa) to support "LGBTQ teacher rights," **local parents and community members succeeded by organizing effectively and presenting the Board with compelling arguments**. CFER assisted with an official [letter](https://strapi-cfer.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/a0c5a385f22d9afe064b1ec4443d08d5.pdf) to the CUSD Board asking for their approval of the policy and a media [column](https://californiaglobe.com/fr/it-is-not-controversial-for-four-year-old-boys-to-wear-dresses-to-school-teachers-union-affirms/) exposing the unions' radical move.  
  
Unions want to stop a common-sense policy in order to appease and enable a transgender TK teacher. This particular teacher was caught **discussing "boys can wear dresses" and pronouns with four-year-olds**! Parents are rightfully outraged by said teacher's brazen conduct which is unduly endorsed by the unions. **See for yourself one of the union's campaign posters and the teacher's statement below.** If this is not misconduct and indoctrination, what is?  Do you think any adult in a position of power has the right to inculcate young children? Do you trust this kind of union schemes and teacher misconduct for the sake of public education?

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We won't blame you if you are feeling angry and concerned like we do. Many parents packed the school board meeting and **nearly 100 made public comments urging the CUSD Board to approve Board Policy 6144**. At the end, the union schemes and smears did not work as  **every single board trustee sided with the parents and the community** that our kids deserve better than unfettered ideological inculcation.  
  
Many, if not most of the endemic problems in education, can be attributed to the teachers' unions. CFER will continue to stand with local parents and stakeholders to **expose and challenge union hijacking, radicalization and misconduct throughout the Golden State**.  
  
We understand **parents' win in CUSD is just the beginning**. Hopefully, this encouraging victory will be the momentum for them to continue to organize in their local school district, holding the school district accountable and safeguarding education going forward. CFER will keep on monitoring the situation and provide assistance when needed. Can you help us out with a kind [donation](https://www.cferfoundation.org/support) today so that we can carry on our important work in grassroots organizing?  
  
p.s. Check out CFER's 2024 annual [report](https://strapi-cfer.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/48fd410ec86b06b966a57cf393566149.pdf) and let us know your thoughts!

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Cupertino parents took on the teachers' union and won!


We are **determined to safeguard equality in California**. All government agencies, public schools included, must observe the constitutional principle of equal protection and refrain from using taxpayer funds to discriminate on the basis of race. Sadly, in the state’s capital, the Sacramento County Department of Child, Family and Adult Services is blatantly engaging in unconstitutional government discrimination in a parent/child welfare [program](https://dcfas.saccounty.net/Admin/Pages/Family-First-Economic-Support-Pilot.aspx) that **excludes parents of White, Asian, Hispanic and Pacific Islander children**!  
  
CFER sent Sacramento County and the California Department of Social Services an intent to sue [letter](https://strapi-cfer.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/a8d5a2257bb29909c96bd41d88351402.pdf) last week, urging them to stop the offending Family First Economic Support Pilot ([FFESP](https://dcfas.saccounty.net/Admin/Pages/Family-First-Economic-Support-Pilot.aspx)). Will you help us strengthen our case by identifying low-income parents in eligible areas in Sacramento and asking them to join CFER’s pursuit? Under the FFESP, only low-income “parents/legal guardians caring for Black/African American, American Indian & Alaska Native (Native American) children ages 0-5​” can receive $725 a month for a year.  
  
**That is wrong**! Non-Black or non-Native-American parents who are struggling financially to raise a young family are excluded from a government welfare project funded by Sacramento taxpayers.  
  
We are serious about challenging this discriminatory program. To be specific, we are looking for parents and legal guardians who:

-   Live in these Zip Codes in Sacramento:  **95815, 95821, 95823, 95828, 95825 and 965838**. They include neighborhoods such as College-Glen, Hagginwood, Old North Sacramento, River Park, Swanston Estates, Sierra Oaks, Ben Ali, Pleasant Grove, Freeport, Vineyard, Florin, Stonehaven, Del Paso Heights, and Robla.
-   At the household level, make less than  **$40,880 (2 people), $51,640 (3 people), $62,400 (4 people), $73,160 (5 people), $83,920 (6 people), $94,680 (7 people), $105,440 (8 people)**.
-   Don’t self-identify as Black/African American, American Indian or Alaska Native.

While we are confident our claim on the FFESP program’s unconstitutionality is meritorious, we must make our case stronger, given a state court system that is not particularly sympathetic to our cause. So, please **help CFER fight for equal justice** by helping us find those who are being discriminated against by Sacramento County. If you have any lead, let us know promptly by writing to me at [wenyuan.wu@cferfoundation.org](mailto:wenyuan.wu@cferfoundation.org).  
  
If you don’t have any direct lead, you can still help CFER expand our legal advocacy operations with a generous [donation](https://www.cferfoundation.org/support) today. With your kind support, we will be able to proactively research and identify more discriminatory programs throughout the state. We can also identify victims of those bad policies whose stories will help strengthen our cases and help us launch legal challenges to defend equality in collaboration with our public interest law partners.  
  
Thank you always!

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Can you please help identify victims of Sacramento's discriminatory welfare policy?

Amidst constant news coverage on international conflicts as well as deep cultural and political divides, we all need some good news. Fortunately, CFER is the bearer of good news today. Last week, we scored two significant victories in our  [legal advocacy](https://www.cferfoundation.org/legal)  operations.

First and foremost,  **the Alameda County Board of Supervisors voted on July 23 to repeal two race-based public contracting programs challenged by CFER**  **and co-plaintiffs**  in  [_CFER et al. v. County of Alameda et al_](https://pacificlegal.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/FILED-CFER-Complaint.pdf). Our case, represented by the Pacific Legal Foundation (PLF), has prompted a progressive local government to cease their programs of racial set asides!

Second and on the same day,  **a San Francisco city official** [**confirmed**](https://californiaglobe.com/fr/san-franciscos-guaranteed-income-programs-for-trans-people-to-end/) **that the Guaranteed Income for Trans People (GIFT) program would be discontinued, citing budget constraints and legal pressure**. The GIFT program, which gave guaranteed income to 55 low-income transgender residents for the last 18 months, was one of the three discriminatory welfare programs we are challenging in  [_CFER et al. v. City and County of San Francisco et al_](https://media.graphassets.com/02LNdMEySkSAdFz88cqC).

**The wheels of justice turn slowly. Although a meritorious case on face value, our Alameda lawsuit was a two-year, assiduous undertaking**. Filed in July 2022, the case was lost in the trial court in January 2023, when an unfavorable ruling granted the defendants motion for judgement holding that the claims we are seeking are time-barred. Thanks to PLF attorneys Mr. Jack Brown and Mr. Wilson Freeman who fought back for us at the First Appellate District Court of the State of California, we secured a decisive victory in March when the trial court’s unfavorable ruling was reversed. It took another four months for the case to proceed through the court system before this final victory.

Similarly, CFER’s case against race-/sex-/gender-based welfare programs in San Francisco has met many challenges in the court system and beyond. While our legal counsel – the American Civil Rights Project – filed the lawsuit on our behalf in May 2023, an amended filing had to be submitted in December. CFER, our co-plaintiffs and I have been subjected to relentless email and social media trolling, including  [attacks](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/nualabishari/article/california-sf-project-2025-trump-19568278.php&ved=2ahUKEwjZxoXF9cyHAxWzGtAFHSRcEpoQxfQBKAB6BAgIEAE&usg=AOvVaw0NHGrj73Y6k9PZaHvVfgg8)  from the media.

**To say these two victories are hard-fought is an understatement.** We are grateful to the Pacific Legal Foundation and the American Civil Rights Project for representing CFER and fighting for equal justice. The government should not expend government resources and public funds on divisive and unconstitutional programs and expect to get away with it. But without proactive monitoring and legal actions, public agencies that discriminate will not face any consequence.  **Most importantly, we can’t win and continue to win without your ongoing support!**

We hope you find these two important victories encouraging. Policy monitoring, legal advocacy and grassroots organizing are all indispensable parts in making these victories possible. And we are just getting started. CFER is a faithful watchdog and we are eager to advance equal rights in the court of law.  **We are fighting at the forefront to safeguard equality and merit, consistently, impactfully and professionally**.  Please consider supporting CFER’s work with a kind  [donation](https://www.cferfoundation.org/support)  today.

We also want to invite you to continue to engage with us, be our eyes and ears on the ground, and alert us to instances of unlawful discrimination. We are dedicated, fast and consistent.

PLF attorneys, including Mr. Jack Brown, will speak at CFER’s upcoming conference. To hear from him and other inspiring speakers, **please** [**register**](https://www.cferfoundation.org/conference/register/2024) **today for our annual event in Irvine (Orange County) on August 10 and 11!**

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The wheels of justice turn slowly, but grind exceedingly fine! Two victories in CFER’s legal battles for equality

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