Wake Forest’s F Grade and Campus Speech Trends | Durham News

Wake Forest University’s campus speech climate continues to struggle, earning an F for the fifth straight year — the only North Carolina school to hit this mark repeatedly — though it did inch up slightly from last year. Meanwhile, Appalachian State soared to eighth place nationally with a C, while other NC schools like UNC Greensboro, UNC Charlotte, East Carolina, and NC State also landed in the top 20 with C grades. The report underscores heated debates over Israel-Palestine, Trump, abortion, and transgender rights, with students often reluctant to speak openly on these topics. Despite some progress, FIRE finds many campuses still restrict free expression, prompting debate among experts — including a Duke law professor — who acknowledge the grades may be too harsh but stress protecting vulnerable voices remains critical. The University of Chicago led the rankings, while NYU ranked last, and a recent controversy in NC involved a professor penalized after speaking on Palestinian resistance. Listen in comfort: Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN: [email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting. Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates: https://sources.thednn.ai/3566984a359fbbfb