Florida colleges are getting mixed marks when it comes to protecting free speech.
A new national report, the College Free Speech Rankings, lists more than 250 schools, and while Florida State University placed in the top three, other schools faced criticism for silencing speakers.
Sean Stevens, chief research advisor with the nonprofit Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression or FIRE, which compiled the rankings, said the threats to campus speech are now coming from both ends of the political spectrum.
The University of Florida was flagged as one of 21 schools where multiple guest speakers were either uninvited or had their events called off, accounting for more than half of all such cancellations nationwide.
READ MORE: Free speech advocates are concerned with Florida's attempt to silence pro-Palestine student group
Stevens said the government’s involvement in regulating speech, especially on controversial topics like anti-Semitism, has added new pressure to university campuses.
"There's a much bigger cause for concern, because now it's also coming from the government. So, faculty really need to step up. Because students are rightfully concerned that if they say the wrong thing, that the hammer might come down on them," he said.
The FIRE survey found the most contentious topics include race, gender identity, abortion rights, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict - issues where students say they fear being punished for speaking out.
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