Navigating Free Speech on Campus: Examining the Davidson College Leslie Grinage Controversy and Broader Trends

The landscape of free speech on college campuses is a complex and evolving issue, marked by a delicate balance between upholding constitutional rights and fostering inclusive learning environments. Recent controversies, such as the one involving Leslie Grinage at Davidson College, alongside broader national trends, highlight the challenges institutions face in navigating these often-conflicting priorities. Understanding these issues requires examining specific cases, analyzing relevant data, and considering the perspectives of various stakeholders.

The Davidson College Context: Leslie Grinage Controversy

Leslie Grinage, a Davidson College alumna, served as Vice President for Campus Life and Student Experience and Dean of the College at Barnard College. Her tenure was marked by controversy, especially concerning disciplinary actions taken against student protesters.

Disciplinary Responses to Pro-Palestinian Encampment

In Spring 2024, Grinage oversaw the suspensions and evictions of over 50 Barnard student protesters involved in a pro-Palestinian encampment led by Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD). This led to significant backlash, with over 100 Barnard and Columbia faculty members marching to Grinage and President Rosenbury’s offices, led by members of the Barnard chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP). The AAUP chapter also released a letter demanding that charges against student protesters be lifted and expunged from student records, and calling for increased faculty participation in administrative and disciplinary decisions. The AAUP wrote, “It is hard to believe that an institution tasked with the education and care of young people would intentionally endanger the safety of young students to punish them, let alone an institution like Barnard that prides itself on its communities of care.”

Faculty Criticism of Grinage's Approach

Faculty members expressed concerns about Grinage's disciplinary approach. Theater professor Shayoni Mitra stated that Grinage's office "has insisted that conduct proceedings are academic in nature, and not criminal or civil cases by legal standards." Students were required to write essays or submit infographics as part of the disciplinary process but did not have the right to legal counsel or to review evidence files beforehand. Professor Mitra added, “No faculty member, that is the pedagogical and instructional arm of the college, was invited to weigh in on the academic components of the sanctions,” further questioning, “We really have to think about what we are signaling as an institution of higher learning when the office of student life disciplines en masse students engaged overwhelmingly in peaceful protest activity.”

Another faculty member, who wished to remain anonymous, stated, “I had a lot of respect for Dean Grinage in the first years of her tenure, but the last two years have been a disaster. In fairness, I think it has been and remains impossible for anyone to succeed in this job for two reasons. First, there is constant pressure coming from the outside to discipline students on account of their political beliefs, and this administration has proven unwilling or unable to resist that pressure. Second, the entire disciplinary process lacks legitimacy because this administration has completely demolished trust on campus.” The faculty member concluded, “Without community buy-in, discipline will fail. Meanwhile, the administration’s hollow statements that the disciplinary process is ‘educational’ just wind up sounding Orwellian.”

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Other Controversies

Grinage's tenure also included a ban on dorm door decorations in February 2024, which elicited frustration from students. During Barnard’s 133rd Commencement ceremony, many graduates and audience members booed and jeered as Dean Grinage delivered her remarks to the Class of 2025.

Grinage's Perspective

Dean Grinage introduced the Barnard Ethics Reporting Hotline “to ensure that everyone has a voice.” “We all have a responsibility to take care of each other. This community cares about students and supporting students outside the classroom to thrive inside the classroom. That’s an important part of our work,” Dean Grinage told the Barnard Magazine in 2020.

Interim Leadership

Vice Deans Nikki Youngblood Giles and Holly Tedder oversaw Dean Grinage’s responsibilities during her sabbatical and served as the College’s Interim Co-Deans until a new Dean of the College was introduced.

National Trends in College Free Speech

To gain a broader understanding of the challenges surrounding free speech, it is helpful to examine national trends. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) has conducted surveys to assess the state of free speech on college campuses across the United States.

FIRE's College Free Speech Rankings

FIRE, in collaboration with College Pulse, has surveyed college undergraduates about their perceptions and experiences regarding free speech on their campuses for six years. The 2025 survey included 68,510 student respondents from 257 colleges and universities. The rankings feature a revised scoring system that includes bonuses for endorsing the “Chicago Principles” and/or institutional neutrality.

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Key Findings from the FIRE Survey

Chilling Climate: Students are reluctant to speak their minds, especially on controversial political issues. Many report that they self-censor regularly, avoid certain topics entirely, and doubt their administrators would defend free expression if controversy struck.
Hostile Atmosphere: Students show low tolerance for controversial speakers, and more believe it’s acceptable to shout down a speaker, block access to events, or even resort to violence to silence campus speech than ever before.
Taboo Topics: The Israeli-Palestinian conflict tops the list of taboo topics, with 53% of students saying it’s too sensitive for open discussion. Abortion and transgender rights also remain high on the list, and concerns around the 2024 presidential election have surged.
Acceptance of Disruptive Tactics: Record numbers now say it’s okay for students to shout down speakers, obstruct event entrances, or use violence.
Decline in Tolerance for Speakers: The percentage of students willing to allow controversial speakers on campus declined across the board, with an even sharper drop for controversial liberal speakers than conservative ones.

Top and Bottom Ranked Schools

In the 2026 College Free Speech Rankings, Claremont McKenna College was the top-ranked school for free speech, while Barnard College ranked last. Columbia University finished second from the bottom. Schools like Purdue University, the University of Chicago, and Michigan Technological University consistently performed well.

Factors Contributing to High Rankings

Schools that adopted the Chicago Principles and a stance of institutional neutrality tended to rank higher. These commitments likely contribute to strong performance on the “Administrative Support” component. For example, 66% of Claremont McKenna College students said it is “very” or “extremely” clear that the administration protects free speech.

Improvements in Rankings

Vanderbilt University, Dartmouth College, and Yale University all improved significantly in the rankings. Dartmouth College revised its speech policies to earn a “green light” rating and officially adopted a stance of institutional neutrality, boosting its overall score.

Examples of Campus Free Speech Controversies

The FIRE survey data is supported by numerous examples of campus free speech controversies that have occurred across the country. These incidents illustrate the challenges universities face in balancing free expression with other values, such as safety and inclusion.

Deplatforming Attempts

Charlie Kirk at Northern Arizona University (2023): Students protested Kirk's appearance on campus, bringing noisemakers to Kirk's booth on campus, where he was holding an open debate. At the event, Kirk could not be heard over shouting and heckling.
Ran Bar-Yoshafat at the University of California, Berkeley (2024): Pro-Palestinian protesters disrupted an event featuring Rice, voicing objections to Rice's role in the Bush administration and her leadership of the Hoover Institution at Stanford. Event staff threatened audience members who interrupted Rice and Christ with detainment and escorted them out of the building.
Simcha Rothman/Joshua Kleinfeld at the University of California, Berkeley (2024): Pro-Palestinian protesters shouted at Rothman, a member of Israel's parliament, and loudly argued with members of UnXetable. Security removed Rothman from the auditorium, and he answered questions via Zoom.
Stephen Davis at the University of California, Davis (2022): Davis' Turning Point USA-sponsored talk was canceled by student organizers after fights broke out outside the event venue.
Charlie Kirk at the University of California, Davis (2023): Students and off-campus groups protested Kirk's talk because of his right-wing views. Protesters banged on doors, smashed windows, blocked entrances, and used pepper spray in an attempt to keep people from attending the event.
Robert Spencer at the University of California, Los Angeles (2024): Spencer's appearance was opposed by pro-Palestinian protesters. The university initially told UCLA YAF that its request to host Spencer on campus ""would be too dangerous"" because he holds views counter to the protesters. UCLA YAF attempted to still hold the event but found the doors of their requested venue locked.
Tzipi Livni at the University of California, Los Angeles (2024): Livni's talk was moved online to Zoom due to fears it could be disrupted if held in-person.
Salman Rushdie at Claremont McKenna College (2025): Rushdie withdrew as the keynote commencement speaker.
Jeffrey Blutinger at San Jose State University (2024): Student protesters blocked entrances and chanted that ""Zionists are not welcome"" on campus.
Jon Chu/Billie Jean King/Maria Rosario Jackson/Marcia McNutt at the University of Southern California (2024): After the decision by the university to cancel Asna Tabassum's (the graduating class' valedictorian) speech at commencement because of ""substantial risks relating to security and disruption at commencement,"" the university canceled all commencement speakers.

Students Under Fire

Young Americans for Freedom at the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa (2025): Administrators denied Young Americans for Freedom's renewal application after the group refused to use required language in its constitution.
College Republicans United at Arizona State University (2025): Multiple student groups and elected officials called upon the university to take action against College Republicans United (CRU) for a social media post announcing plans to encourage students to report classmates to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Pro-Israel Law Student Groups at the University of California, Davis (2025): The Law Student Association passed a resolution resolving that it ""will not approve funding requests for events with speakers who represent the Israeli government…
Law Students Association at the University of California, Davis (2025): The university dissolved the Law Student Association after it had passed a resolution resolving that it ""will not approve funding requests for events with speakers who represent the Israeli government…
Three Unnamed Students at the University of Southern California (2025): Three unnamed students was summoned to a meeting with the dean and accused of intimidating 11 students.

Scholars Under Fire

Yoel Inbar at the University of California, Los Angeles (2023): Inbar faced opposition from graduate students and faculty members over past comments he made on a 2018 podcast, where he expressed skepticism about some diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
Randall Kuhn at the University of California, Los Angeles (2025): A student-led course focused on public health issues in Palestine was canceled, citing violations of the university's Academic Senate regulations.

Restrictions on Speech and Expression

Helena Hansen at the University of California, Los Angeles (2024): The university Medical School altered the title of Hansen's lecture and restricted attendance to in-person only, removed the Zoom option, and prohibited any recording.

The Role of University Trustees

University trustees play a crucial role in shaping campus policies and fostering an environment that supports free speech. Understanding the composition and responsibilities of these boards is essential for evaluating their impact on campus culture.

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Examples of Trustees

Malú Alvarez '02: A visual artist and philanthropist, Alvarez serves on the boards of The Contemporary Austin and Texas Performing Arts.
Andy Berndt: Vice President, Strategic Advisor at Google, Berndt founded the Google Creative Lab.
Ann Blakeney Clark '80: Retired superintendent of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, Clark is an Executive Leadership Coach for school district superintendents and senior district leaders.
Dan Boone '66: Retired Managing Partner of Atlanta Capital Management Co., Boone established the Boone Pre-tenured Professorship to focus on capitalism and income inequality.
Erwin Carter '79: CEO of Newbold Services, LLC, a facility support services company.
Lisa Green Case '99: Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees, Case is an active volunteer serving on the board or board committees of several nonprofits.
Jordan Clark '77: Founder and a principal of Clark Ventures, LLC, a real estate investment firm specializing in the development, acquisition, and operation of multi-family apartment communities.
Jessica Holt: Senior Program Officer at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Bob Dunham '70: Retired Presbyterian pastor.
Douglas W. Ey, Jr. '76: Retired attorney and partner with McGuireWoods LLP.
Tom Finke: Senior financial services executive.
Hurt Krieg: Has held positions in telecommunications, management consulting and managing small family businesses.
Purcell: Managing partner at Ridgemont Equity Partners.
Emmitt Sklar: Youngest ever Brooklyn Borough Advocate at the Office of the NYC Public Advocate.

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