The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) has named the University of Tulsa as one of the ten worst universities for free speech.
In an article published on February 17 in the Huffington Post, President and CEO of FIRE placed the University of Tulsa on the list, citing the 2014 case of Trey Barnett.
Trey Barnett, a senior at the time, was suspended over Facebook posts critical of a professor and a student. Despite Barnett’s fiance claiming authorship of the posts, Senior Vice Provost Winona Tanaka found Barnett guilty of harassment. Barnett was suspended until January of 2016 and restricted from getting a degree in his field of study, effectively requiring that he start over as a freshman. Barnett is currently suing the university, claiming that TU did not follow its own policies when investigating the accusations, while the university denies these charges.
The article also cited the university’s threats against Collegian editors Conor Fellin and Kyle Walker when they approached the administration for comment about the suspension.
The University of Tulsa has declined to comment on FIRE’s assessment.
