{"id":2408935,"date":"2025-03-03T10:51:03","date_gmt":"2025-03-03T15:51:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/thomas-alito-dissent-after-supreme-court-rejects-free-speech-case\/"},"modified":"2025-03-03T10:53:36","modified_gmt":"2025-03-03T15:53:36","slug":"thomas-alito-dissent-after-supreme-court-rejects-free-speech-case","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/thomas-alito-dissent-after-supreme-court-rejects-free-speech-case\/","title":{"rendered":"Thomas, Alito dissent after Supreme Court rejects free speech case"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fthomas-alito-dissent-after-supreme-court-rejects-free-speech-case%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2408935&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The Supreme Court recently declined too hear a case challenging Indiana University&#8217;s &#8220;bias response team&#8221; \u2063policy, which sparked dissent \u2062from Justice\u2064 Clarence Thomas.he argued\u2062 that the case represented a\u2064 crucial prospect to address inconsistencies among federal courts \u200bregarding \u2062the potential infringement of\u200c student free \u200cspeech rights by such \u2064programs. Bias response teams, present at over 450 colleges, are designed to allow students\u200c to \u200breport \u200cperceived incidents of \u200cbias but do not\u200c have direct \u200cdisciplinary powers.\u200b Critics argue these teams may deter \u2064free expression, leading to self-censorship among students, particularly around sensitive topics like \u200bgender \u200bidentity and affirmative action. Thomas, along with Justice Samuel Alito, expressed concern over \u2062the lack of a Supreme Court ruling on \u200dthis\u200b issue, highlighting that\u2064 different federal appellate courts have\u2063 concluded differently on whether these policies chill student speech. \u2063As it stands, students may face varying \u2064degrees of First Amendment rights \u200cbased on geographic location,\u2064 a\u200d situation Thomas believes \u200bthe\u200c Court will eventually need to address.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Thomas and Alito dissent after Supreme Court rejects college free speech case<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tpd-featured-video\">\n<div id=\"Brid_24824\" class=\"brid\" style=\"width:1280;height:720;\"> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/supreme-court\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Supreme Court<\/a> on Monday declined to hear a challenge to Indiana University&rsquo;s use of a &ldquo;bias response team,&rdquo; prompting a dissent from Justice <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/clarence-thomas\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Clarence Thomas<\/a>, who argued the case was an important opportunity to resolve a split among federal courts over whether such programs infringe on student free speech rights.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Bias response teams, which operate at more than 450 colleges nationwide, encourage students to report incidents of perceived bias to school officials. These teams typically do not have direct disciplinary authority but can refer reported students to university administrators or law enforcement for further action. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Associate Justice Clarence Thomas poses for a photo at the Supreme Court building in Washington, Oct. 7, 2022. Thomas told attendees at a judicial conference that he and his wife have faced &ldquo;nastiness and lies&rdquo; over the last several years. He also decried Washington as a &ldquo;hideous place.&rdquo; (AP Photo\/J. Scott Applewhite, File)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Critics have argued that the policies &ldquo;objectively chill&rdquo; speech on campuses and pressure students to self-censor controversial viewpoints. Thomas, along with Justice Samuel Alito, said he would grant review of the cases to solve an &ldquo;important split&rdquo; between lower federal appeals courts.<\/p>\n<p>Speech First, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/make-twitter-show-their-work-how-elon-musk-can-ensure-twitter-protects-free-speech\/\" title=\"\u2018Make Twitter Show Their Work\u2019: How Elon Musk Can Ensure Twitter Protects Free ...\">free speech advocacy group<\/a>, sued Indiana University over its bias response policy and said students feared punishment for expressing conservative views on gender identity, affirmative action, and other contentious topics. The lawsuit was dismissed under precedent from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit, which previously ruled that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/free-speech-group-squashes-universitys-bias-reporting-system-in-court\/\" title=\"Free ... Group Squashes University\u2019s ... Reporting System In ...\">bias response teams<\/a> do not &ldquo;objectively chill&rdquo; student speech because participation in their proceedings is technically voluntary.<\/p>\n<p>Thomas, who dissented from the Supreme Court&rsquo;s decision not to take up the case, warned that the high court would eventually need to resolve the <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">legal uncertainty surrounding bias response teams<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The Court&rsquo;s refusal to intervene now leaves students subject to a &lsquo;patchwork of First Amendment rights,&rsquo; with a student&rsquo;s ability to challenge his university&rsquo;s bias response policies varying depending on accidents of geography,&rdquo; Thomas <a href=\"https:\/\/www.supremecourt.gov\/orders\/courtorders\/030325zor_apl1.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">wrote<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The justice also criticized the 7th Circuit&rsquo;s approach, pointing out that other federal appeals courts &mdash; the 5th, 6th, and 11th Circuits &mdash; have ruled differently, finding that bias response teams do chill student speech.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/2881971\/over-450-colleges-maintain-speech-policing-bias-response-teams\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">OVER 450 COLLEGES MAINTAIN SPEECH-POLICING BIAS RESPONSE TEAMS<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Unlike a similar challenge to Virginia Tech&rsquo;s bias response team, which the Supreme Court rejected last year because the university revised its policy mid-litigation, Indiana University&rsquo;s program has remained in place.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;This case does not present any complicating features that would hamper review,&rdquo; Thomas wrote, arguing the justices had no reason to deny the petition.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_24824\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"playlist\":\"24824\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Thomas and Alito dissent as Supreme Court rejects college free speech case<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2633,"featured_media":2408936,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/AP23352580613471.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[4430,13729,32311,32275,10215],"class_list":["post-2408935","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-alito","tag-dissent","tag-free-speech","tag-supreme-court","tag-thomas"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/AP23352580613471.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2408935","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2633"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2408935"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2408935\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2408939,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2408935\/revisions\/2408939"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2408936"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2408935"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2408935"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2408935"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}