The MESA Academic Freedom Initiative tracks and analyzes threats to academic freedom
on North American higher education campuses since October 7, 2023. Our databases record experiences of faculty, staff, and students to build a comprehensive understanding of these issues.
Datasets
The MESA Academic Freedom Initiative offers downloadable datasets tracking threats to academic freedom in North America in higher education. Use them to support research, advocacy, and public understanding.
Academic Freedom Initiative Website Launch
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AFI Website Launch Webinar
The Academic Freedom Initiative Website Launch Webinar May 4, 2026 Featuring Prof. Isaac Kaamola, Prof. Anthony Allesendrini, and Prof. Aslı Bâli. Included a tour of the website by the AFI Research Coordinator Dr. Lori Allen. Check out this link for a summary of the speakers’ remarks. A transcript of Prof. Bâli’s talk can be found…
Our Publications and Insights
Find research and analysis based on our datasets.
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MESA Resource
Discriminating Against Dissent: The Weaponization of Civil Rights Law to Repress Campus Speech on Palestine
Middle East Studies Association
Featured Data
Employment Retaliation Database
Find data about retaliation against faculty and staff by their institutional employers in connection to pro-Palestine advocacy.
Type of Retaliatory Action
Hover your cursor over the chart to view specific incident totals.
Featured Infographic
Title VI Antisemitism Investigations and Lawsuits Against Colleges and Universities
Resources
Explore our FAQs, guides, and other resources for information about navigating immigration and travel policies, digital security, harassment campaigns, and other issues affecting MESA members.
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Title VI: Hijacking Civil Rights Law to Punish Dissent
Visualizing Palestine
Title VI Antisemitism Investigations and Lawsuits Against Colleges and Universities (2004-2025)
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AFI Website Launch Webinar
The Academic Freedom Initiative Website Launch Webinar May 4, 2026 Featuring Prof. Isaac Kaamola, Prof. Anthony Allesendrini, and Prof. Aslı Bâli. Included a tour of the website by the AFI Research Coordinator Dr. Lori Allen. Check out this link for a summary of the speakers’ remarks. A transcript of Prof. Bâli’s talk can be found…
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AAUP Case Challenging Trump Administration
AAUP
The AAUP is a plaintiff in a case in which the federal court has ordered that the Trump administration cease requiring universities to comply with the executive orders seeking to ban diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs on university campuses.
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How Civil-Rights Law Was Turned Against Civil Rights
The Chronicle of Higher Education
Title VI is now a tool for silencing dissent.
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Surge in antisemitism investigations at US universities after October 7 attacks, data shows
The Guardian
A report shared exclusively with the Guardian documents how a civil rights law has become a tool to impose ideological priorities on US schools
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Discriminating Against Dissent: The Weaponization of Civil Rights Law to Repress Campus Speech on Palestine
Middle East Studies Association
Weaponized allegations of antisemitism driven by pro-Israel groups have been central to attacks on campus speech—including the Trump administration’s brazen war on higher education—over the past two years, according to a new report jointly published today by the American Association of University Professors and the Middle East Studies Association. The report, “Discriminating Against Dissent: The…