University of Missouri employees opened their inboxes last Wednesday to find an email from UM System President Mun Choi, with a warning to take caution when expressing personal opinions on social media.

The letter, signed by Choi along with Provost Matthew Martens and Vice President of Human Resources Marsha Fischer, said that “the university’s interest in the efficiency of its operations may outweigh the employee’s rights of free expression,” and that speech capable of disrupting that efficiency may be grounds for discipline or termination.

The statement comes as institutions and businesses across the country fire workers who engage in contentious conversations online. In particular, a wave of public employees have lost their jobs after sharing their thoughts about the killing of conser

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