Cornell University’s student assembly has voted unanimously in favor of requiring trigger warnings for “traumatic” content in classes — a move that would undermine academic freedom on campus.
The recently introduced resolution “implores all instructors to provide content warnings on the syllabus that may be discussed,” meaning professors would be on the hook for anticipating what readings or other materials might “traumatize” their students.
This spells disaster for free speech.
According to the decision, topics or mentions that would require a trigger warning include “but [are] not limited to” sexual assault, domestic violence, self-harm, suicide, child abuse, racial hate crimes, transphobic violence, homophobic harassment and xenophobia.
Recently-released meeting minutes show the student assembly voted to adopt the resolution last week.
I’m a fellow at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), an advocacy group for campus free speech, and we wrote to Cornell earlier this week imploring the school not to adopt this policy for the sake of academic freedom.
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