Grasping Reality on TypePad, by Brad DeLong

...The Reed College Quest’s Will Jones and Danielle Juncal have some details that paint True’s interaction with the rest of the conference in a somewhat different light....

True ‘began the class abruptly and loudly in an angry tone, reading the Honor Principle stating how no student should face a hostile environment, and demanding an apology of only female members of the class despite the equally strong reaction by the male ones.’...

Here we get to the nub of the problem. I’ve led a fair number of undergraduate and graduate seminars in my day. If a student shares a politically unpopular viewpoint, then as the seminar leader it’s often my job to defend that position.... That said, if any student tries to monopolize or repeatedly hijack the conversation, it’s a serious pedagogical problem.... Playing intellectual traffic cop is difficult, but it’s made even more difficult if one person just honks their horn endlessly.... In the classroom at least, simply averring the free speech should never be restricted is facile but wrong. There’s only so much time in a seminar and when one person is speaking, the others need to listen. And if True stopped listening, then that’s a problem. I’ve taught for more than 20 years, and I’ve never had to kick out a student for disruptive behavior. But I don’t know if I’ve ever had a student like Jeremiah True....

According to Mulhere:

True declined to be interviewed Thursday. When contacted via e-mail, he responded that he would only answer questions if the first word in the article was [n@##@$]. Inside Higher Ed refused to make such a commitment, and he then declined to talk.

Let me be clear here: I’m not saying that Shulevitz’s concerns are groundless or unwarranted. When college campuses cancel invited speakers because of the safe space logic, it does a disservice to the educational mission. I’m not even saying that the case at Reed doesn’t warrant further inquiry. But...