Professors censor themselves to protect their careers. This professor says he’s destroying the academy

Self-censorship is destroying academia as most college professors are afraid to speak freely, a university professor retiring over diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives told Fox News.

“We are literally moving away from the academic foundations,” Matthew Wielicki told Fox News. “If professors have hesitation in speech, if students hesitate to ask questions, if dialogue is reduced for fear of retribution – these are the fundamental principles on which universities were founded.”

More than half of the nearly 1,500 college professors surveyed in the Foundation for Personality and Expression Rights (FIRE) survey released in December feared losing their jobs or reputations because their words would be used against them, however unfairly. About a third said they did not feel they could freely express their opinions.

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“I definitely experienced it,” Wielicki said.

The geoscience professor announced his resignation from the University of Alabama in January, citing an “obsession” with the school’s pursuit of fairness in science. He tweeted that “the rise of anti-liberalism in the name of DEI is contrary to the principles on which universities were founded.”

“I think when I started speaking out, it became very clear to me that saying what I said was very taboo,” Wielicki told Fox News. “People immediately called me a racist when I didn’t talk about race at all.”

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He said the increasingly oppressive atmosphere on campuses makes professors feel they can’t ask questions or discuss controversial topics with students.

“If you’re a young teacher and you busted your ass to take this position, you don’t want to rock the boat,” Wielicki said.

Dr. Matthew M. Wielicki resigns from the University of Alabama after speaking out about the harm DEI initiatives are causing to students. (Raymond Boyd/Getty Images)

Most of all, Wielicki was shocked by the FIRE poll’s finding that, depending on the scenario, up to 36% of faculty approve of their colleges formally investigating professors for controversial statements.

“No one really wants to discuss issues, but they are more than happy to throw some slander at you or call you names,” he said.

The survey showed that the fear of speaking freely is not limited to conservative professors, with 40% of liberal professors also fearing retribution if they say something unfavorable.

The FIRE poll showed that the fear of speaking freely is not limited to conservative professors: 40% of liberal professors also fear retribution if they say something unfavorable. (iStock)

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“I think everyone is walking on eggshells,” Wielicki said.

“If there’s one thing we’ve seen, it’s that it doesn’t really matter if you’re in a tribe or not,” he added. “If you say something wrong, it’s enough to actually ostracize you and kick you out.”

To watch the full interview with Wielicki, click here.