The University of Florida is prohibiting three professors from providing expert testimony in a lawsuit, reports the Associated Press, which challenges new voting restrictions in the state. The University even made clear that it was preventing the testimony to avoid conflict with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. The blatantly unconstitutional restriction on employee speech by a government-funded institution earned brisk criticism across the board.
ACLU:
UF simply should not be looking to Governor DeSantis to decide which speech activities it will permit its employees and students to engage in
FIRE:
The profound civic importance of fair trials requires the ability of fact and expert witnesses to come forward to testify truthfully without fear that their government employer might retaliate against them. Public university faculty are no exception. We call on UF to reverse course immediately. UF should be aware that Plymouth State University's ill-considered decision to punish faculty who had testified in a trial ultimately cost the state of New Hampshire's taxpayers $350,000. FIRE warned Plymouth State then, and we're warning UF now: If you pick a fight with the First Amendment, you will lose.
The University of Florida insists that controlling what its employees do off the clock is fine because anything that might hurt the state, such as litigation, also hurts the University of Florida.
"The University of Florida has a long track record of supporting free speech and our faculty's academic freedom"
Not anymore.
