Speaker to discuss censorship in U.S. colleges, universities

Greg Lukianoff Download Photo

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Greg Lukianoff, president of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, will speak at Purdue University on April 9.

Lukianoff, an author and attorney, will discuss his book, "Unlearning Liberty: Campus Censorship and the End of American Debate," at 7 p.m. in Stewart Center, Room 218 A-B. The event, which is free and open to the public, is sponsored by the Purdue chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) and the Office of the President.

"Greg Lukianoff is well known for his dedication and efforts in challenging universities and colleges on topics related to free speech and other civil liberties," said Marcus Rogers, professor of computer and information technology and president of Purdue's AAUP chapter. "We look forward to hearing from him about his experiences in representing and working with university students and faculty, and what he believes are some of the pressing issues in higher education today."

Prior to the event, Purdue President Mitch Daniels will host a dinner for Lukianoff to meet with Rogers and other invited faculty, staff and students who are interested in First Amendment issues. Following the public talk, Lukianoff will be available to sign books, which will be available for purchase onsite.

Lukianoff is a regular columnist for The Huffington Post and has frequently appeared on television current events programs, including CBS Evening News and Fox & Friends. His writing also has appeared in The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, Boston Globe and The Chronicle of Higher Education. He has testified before the U.S. Senate about free speech issues on America's campuses.

He has been with the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, known as FIRE, since 2001 when he was hired to be the organization's first director of legal and public advocacy. The foundation's mission is to defend and sustain individual rights at America's colleges and universities.

In 2008 Lukianoff received the Playboy Foundation Freedom of Expression Award and the 2010 Ford Hall Forum's Louis P. and Evelyn Smith First Amendment Award on behalf of FIRE.

Writer: Amy Patterson Neubert, 765-494-9723, apatterson@purdue.edu