This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
A recent survey of thousands of college and university students across America reveals that it is likely more than a million of them have come under investigation over their speech.
The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression reported the assessment confirms the possibility that "about 1.4 million undergraduate students may have been punished or threatened with discipline for their speech."
While higher education boasts of being an open marketplace for ideas and concepts, more and more evidence is confirming these days that it's a monolithic structure with leftist ideals in control.
The survey by FIRE was of 2,007 students and focused on their experiences with expression and discipline on campus.
"It revealed that 1 in 10 college students has been disciplined or threatened with discipline by college administrators over their speech. If this sounds low, consider that given the total undergraduate population as of 2021, about 1.4 million undergraduate students may have been punished or threatened with discipline for their speech," the organization reported.
"When students are as likely to be punished for their speech as they are to be left-handed, the situation on campus is clearly out of hand," explained Sean Stevens, of FIRE.
"And worse, this will have a snowball effect, because students whose peers are censored will be more likely to keep their mouths shut."
The report confirmed that 3% of students said they were punished for their speech, and another 6% said they were threatened by school officials.
The organization also said, "Students believe that words can equal violence: 38% of students responded in the survey that something they’ve heard someone say on campus is an 'act of violence.'"
The FIRE said it already had confirmed that 26% of students censor themselves "at least a few times a week" in various communications.
FIRE chief Greg Lukianoff said, "It’s a dark day for free speech when students aren’t safe to express themselves in their own dorm rooms."
