Conservative Miami Law Prof Fights The Campus Cancel Culture

Following up on my previous posts (links below):  Miami Herald op-ed:  As a Conservative UM Professor, I’m Fighting the Campus Cancel Culture, by Daniel B. Ravicher (Miami):

I’m a rare breed, a law professor that is an unashamed conservative. Over my 15 years of teaching, countless students of all genders, races, and religions, have confided in me as one of — if not the — only faculty member at the with whom they could speak freely about political and social issues.

This is because too many professors are intolerant of conservative ideas and students are rightfully afraid of being punished.

My conservative students feel pressure to adopt their professors’ left-wing political views by answering in class and on exams that criminal laws are racist, limits on immigration are dehumanizing and defending the unborn is violence to women. These students mock the intolerant left sermonizing from behind podiums, but also lament not being able to express their conservative views without fear of reprisal.

I, too, keep my thoughts to myself while at the UM campus, but I have a Twitter account and find it an exhilarating Roman Coliseum of ideological debate. Many of my students follow me and we engage in ways we can’t physically. And if spectators want to join in, all the better.

My employer’s Faculty Manual could not be clearer, anything a faculty member says in their personal life shall have no impact on their employment. But promises are not always kept, as I found out after recently tweeting my views on race, abortion, lawful self-defense and integrity in elections. ...

I haven’t won my battle against campus cancel culture because I’ve had to deal with demands that violate the Faculty Manual, been baselessly accused of lacking academic integrity. The chilling effect on conservative speech, including by students in particular, has been achieved. But fighting cancel culture must be done, because without free exchange of ideas, we are not going to produce the best citizens and the best policies. So, despite the personal cost of doing so, I will stick to my principles. I will not retract my statements, I will not apologize and I will not resign.

I also know I am not alone in this fight. My campus is but a microcosm of what is happening to conservatives in law schools, universities and colleges across America.

Prior TaxProf Blog coverage:

• Students Express Concerns Over Miami Law Professor's Twitter Support For Trump In Presidential Election
• Miami Law Faculty Condemns Colleague's 'Egregious Lack Of Professional Judgment' In Pro-Trump Tweets
• Miami Law Professor Says He Was Fired Over Tweets. The University Disagrees.
• Miami Law Prof Weighs In On Controversy Over Colleague's Pro-Trump Tweets