Paying off a blackmailer only makes them demand more
The ACLU of Rhode Island sent a letter to Brown University President Christine Paxson condemning the Trump Administration’s new “compact” that would undermine academic freedom and the autonomy of higher education institutions, and urging the university president to “forcefully and publicly reject” the demands contained in the compact.
The compact, which was sent to nine universities, lays out a series of
conditions from the presidential administration that the institutions have to
agree to to receive various forms of federal funding.
Brown University capitulated
to the Trump Administration in July, agreeing to implement
discriminatory policies in accordance with two presidential executive orders
that would limit the rights of transgender Americans, in exchange for the
restoration of frozen federal research funding. Days after capitulating, Rhode
Island Attorney General Peter Neronha joined 16 attorneys
general and one governor in
filing a multistate lawsuit challenging the Trump
Administration’s efforts to restrict access to necessary healthcare for
transgender youth. That lawsuit has yet to resolve.
Trump’s second set of demands should not be a surprise. He characteristically sees a willingness to negotiate as a weakness. “In my mind, he’s a bully,” said Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha about the president in March.
“You can’t negotiate with him, and you can’t
reason with him… We have to hold the line. We have to hope that our
infrastructure and our institutions hold up.” In August, Attorney General
Neronha predicted the president’s actions, saying about Brown’s initial
capitulation “overall, my instinctive reaction is always to fight the
president… I think he’s a blackmailer, frankly, and I think that once he goes
down that road… he could be back. And so my overall view is to
fight, not give in, even if that requires sacrifice.” [emphasis added]
This is why the ongoing discussions between the Trump
Administration and Governors Daniel McKee (Rhode Island)
and Ned Lamont (Connecticut) about adopting an “all of the
above” energy policy are so dangerous. After Trump cancelled the Revolution
Wind project, the governors agreed
to expand fossil fuel infrastructure in their states. This will
not persuade the president to allow wind and solar projects to go forward
without a fight, it will only damage our attempts to combat climate change and
adopt clean energy.
The last time Brown bent their knee, most students were away
for the summer break. This time, students are on campus, and I expect they will
have something say about further capitulation.
Here’s the ACLU letter:
Dear President Paxson:
Yesterday, Brown University, along with eight other
universities, was confronted with yet another troubling attempt by the Trump
administration to completely undermine the role of higher education in this
country. This time, the threat comes in the form of a proposed “compact” to
deny or restrict federal funding to the university if it does not sign on to an
agreement that would impose numerous unconscionable conditions on the
university’s activities and mission.
Among other things, agreeing to this compact would restrict
university employees from speaking out on political issues, limit the
enrollment of foreign students, and once again require the university to
essentially deny the existence of transgender students. The compact makes no
serious attempt to hide its real intent. While it purports to demand that
universities promote a “marketplace of ideas” on campus, it also obligates
universities to prohibit anything that would “belittle” “conservative ideas.”
I trust I do not need to go into any more detail about the
specifics of what entering into the compact with this Presidential
administration would mean. Presumably the requirements are as offensive to you
as they are to the many educational organizations — such as the American
Association of University Professors and the American
Council on Education — that have already quickly and roundly
condemned the proposal.
Unfortunately, this is not the first time we have raised the
alarm about your university’s collaboration with this Presidential
administration. Just two months ago, the ACLU of Rhode Island, along with other
organizations, shared our deep concerns with your university’s agreement with
the Trump administration that included the adoption of their narrow,
discriminatory definition of sex. We remain hopeful that such a mistake will
not be repeated. Just as importantly, we think it is crucial that you immediately,
publicly, and unequivocally denounce this blatant attempt to destroy academic
freedom at universities.
We believe that your university’s previous capitulation has
simply empowered and emboldened the Trump administration to demand more. It is
only by sending a clear, strong, and visible message that these attacks on the
mission of higher education will not be tolerated that one can ever hope to
stop them. Therefore, we urge you to not only resist these and any further
unconstitutional demands from this administration, but to forcefully and
publicly reject them and urge your colleagues to do the same.
Thank you in advance for your attention to this critical
matter. I do not think it is an exaggeration to say that the response by
universities to this latest brazen attempt by the executive branch to interfere
with academic freedom may determine the fate of higher education’s autonomy for
decades to come.
Sincerely,
Steven Brown, Executive Director, Rhode Island ACLU
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