PHILADELPHIA — Students and faculty are increasingly being investigated and punished for exercising their right to protected speech on college campuses, according to a new report .

The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, or FIRE , found the number of students punished by university administration or student government for protected speech rose sharply between 2020 and 2024. Nearly two-thirds of these controversies resulted in some form of punishment.

Sean Stevens, the foundation’s chief research adviser, said students with left-leaning speech are more often singled out for investigations and discipline.

“Almost everybody is facing these threats,” he said. “I think it shows to a lot of people, who previously would say ‘there’s not really that much of a problem, etc, etc

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