AAUP, AFT, LABOR LEADERS SUPPORT UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN PROFESSOR DEREK PETERSON

The AAUP and AFT strongly defend the academic freedom of Professor Derek Peterson and condemn the escalating campaign of political pressure and public intimidation directed at him following his remarks at the University of Michigan's commencement ceremony.

Professor Peterson's comments-measured, principled, and clearly situated within a broader call to recognize those who work to advance justice-fall squarely within the protected sphere of faculty speech. Faculty members do not surrender their rights to speak as scholars and citizens when they participate in university forums-whether in classrooms, public venues, or ceremonial settings. On the contrary, such occasions are among the most visible expressions of the university's core commitments to thoughtful inquiry, ethical reflection, and engagement with the most pressing issues of our time.

Calls from political actors and government officials to investigate, discipline, or terminate Professor Peterson are deeply alarming. Such demands represent a direct threat to academic freedom and an unacceptable intrusion of partisan politics into the life of the university. Just as concerning, they create a profound chilling effect: When faculty members see a colleague singled out for public vilification and threats of punishment for protected speech, the predictable result is self-censorship. Scholars may avoid addressing controversial or politically sensitive topics, narrowing the scope of inquiry and debate that universities exist to sustain.

The AAUP and AFT are also concerned by the University of Michigan administration's public response, including its characterization of Professor Peterson's remarks and its suggestion that he acted improperly. Institutional leaders have an obligation not only to tolerate faculty speech, but to defend it-especially in the face of external political pressure. An institution may disagree with the content of a faculty member's protected expression, but refusing to affirm his right to academic freedom risks legitimizing calls for sanction, amplifying the chilling effect on faculty speech, and inviting further political interference.

The AAUP and AFT call on the University of Michigan to affirm unequivocally that Professor Peterson will face no discipline for his protected speech, to reject external efforts to dictate the terms of academic expression, and to recommit itself to the principles of academic freedom and shared governance that are foundational to its mission.

At a moment when faculty speech is increasingly subject to political attack, universities must stand firm. The AAUP and AFT stand with Professor Peterson and with all faculty members who exercise their rights and responsibilities to speak, teach, and engage the pressing issues of our time without fear of retaliation.

Randi Weingarten, AFT President
Todd Wolfson, AAUP President
Terrence Martin, AFT-Michigan President, AFT Vice President
Julie Boland, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor AAUP Chapter President
Daniel Birchok, University of Michigan-Flint AFT-AAUP Local 5671 President

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The AFT represents 1.8 million pre-K through 12th-grade teachers; paraprofessionals and other school-related personnel; higher education faculty and professional staff; federal, state and local government employees; nurses and healthcare workers; and early childhood educators.