As universities grapple with activism and antisemitism, Yale professor insists colleges must remain neutral

As colleges nationwide grapple with claims of antisemitism and activism among students and faculty, a Yale University professor argued that educational institutions must return to a position of neutrality so freedom of expression can thrive.

"I think one of the things that the recent controversies in the Mid East have pointed out is, once you start down that road weighing in on various issues … it's hard to know when to stop," Professor Rick Antle said. "And you're always concerned about the shadow that casts over the culture internally about freedom of expression." 

The accounting professor was among over 100 staff members who joined the "Faculty for Yale" initiative launched in December 2023, a group committed to rededicating themselves to the university's fundamental mission to "preserve, produce, and transmit knowledge," according to its website. The group was founded in response to a "number of challenges" presented at the university, including increased bureaucracy and threats to free speech.

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"Of all the places in our society where people should feel free to express themselves, I think universities are at the top of the list," Antle said.

The faculty coalition has shared a list of commitments, including to prioritize "teaching, learning and research as distinct from advocacy and activism" and to promote free expression paired with "institutional neutrality," according to the website. The move follows major criticism over antisemitic incidents and suppressed free speech on college campuses, particularly following Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel and the resulting war, which has led to several hostile situations at universities. 

Yale University is one of many campuses across the country that has faced protests over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the Middle East since Hamas' Oct. 7 attack.  (Left: Photographer: Craig Warga/Bloomberg via Getty Images, Center: Photo by Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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"We want to have a good culture where people are courteous and don't go out of their way to offend other people … but we also want to have cultures where people feel free to express themselves," Antle said. "If the institution's position means that certain views are discouraged and so forth, I think that's tricky."

Many universities have faced fallout from both students and donors for their statements — or prolonged or lack of statements — on Hamas' attack and Israel's response. How the colleges handled the fallout, in many cases, led to even more issues.

"I think about educational neutrality. That's very important," Antle said. "At an institution like Yale, it should be neutral."

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Yale President Peter Salovey released a statement on Oct. 10 condemning the attack on Israel and promoting respectful, open-dialogue about the conflict. He also released several statements rejecting hateful and discriminatory incidents toward all students, but some students were dissatisfied with the university leader's responses.

In November, hundreds of Yale students and community members gathered to protest, accusing the university of failing to highlight injustices against Palestinians, Yale Daily News reported. A pro-Palestinian student group, Yalies4Palestine, called on the university to take a stand against Israel bombarding Gaza and accused the school of supporting genocide of Palestinians.

"Antisemitism, Islamophobia and hatred toward Palestinians and Israelis are emphatically against our values and principles at Yale," Salovey said in November. "Let me also be clear in stating that our forceful rejection of discrimination and prejudice must be matched by our will to act with compassion and civility."

Protests have erupted at college campuses nationwide since Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel.  (Photo by Williams Paul/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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"We are a community of many viewpoints, identities, and cultures," he said. "We do not agree with one another on everything. What we must share is a commitment to open, civil discourse and respect for one another."

Antle said universities have had to deal with navigating difficult issues for decades, like when protests over the Vietnam War and civil rights were frequent and prominent. But it's important for college faculty to create academic-focused environments for open dialogue, particularly following traumatic events that spur passionate reactions, he said. 

"I think teaching definitely needs to be distinct from activism," Antle told Fox News.

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"A lot of the reason that I signed in support of this mission was really to make a statement to my senior faculty colleagues that I thought this is how Yale should be run, and these are the values we should espouse," Antle said about Faculty for Yale. "It's the faculty's responsibility to maintain and uphold those values."

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Some major academic institutions have seen similar faculty coalitions form in recent months, including groups at Princeton, Dartmouth, the University of Chicago and the University of Austin. Antle told Fox News he hopes the various faculty-led missions will refocus educators' priorities.

Faculties need to stay vigilant to make sure "we don't go back into a situation where you only feel like you belong at an institution if you have certain views and if you have other views, you have to be quiet," Antle said. "I'm hoping that most of the faculties at Yale and other institutions will assert themselves more and be more thoughtful about the overall environment that of which they are the stewards."