The NBA’s Steve Kerr and Doc Rivers joined numerous coaches in signing an open letter on behalf of student-athletes expressing their concern that the independence and integrity of American universities are “under political attack.”
“Currently, at the federal and state levels, acts of political interference threaten the independence of our colleges and universities,” the letter reads. “Punitive cuts to research funding, censorship of curriculum, intimidation of university leaders and faculty, and the deployment of federal law enforcement officers on college campuses are dividing our campuses and harming teaching. Drastic funding cuts put women’s and Olympic sports at risk.
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“When students are afraid to speak their mind, they cannot give their best. When campuses are polarized, it is difficult to maintain the ‘team’ spirit we instill in our locker rooms. The unprecedented pressures placed on colleges and universities by the federal and certain state governments undermine the values we try to instill in our student-athletes.
“We ask college athletic leaders and fans across the country to stand with us. Tell your elected representatives to keep colleges free and independent. Support campus freedoms.”
The letter appeared on the Support Campus Freedom website. The website states, “Supporting Campus Freedom is a nonpartisan program that unites alumni across generations, geographies, and viewpoints to protect academic freedom and defend democracy. Together, we are building a national movement to hold universities accountable to their highest ideals, resist political coercion, and strengthen America’s leadership on the world stage.”
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Campus Liberty Coaches is “a new effort by current and former athletic coaches calling for political intervention in higher education,” including Kerr and Rivers, College Hall of Famers John Beilein, Jim Boeheim and Muffet McGraw, as well as Harvard’s Tommy Amaker and Yale’s James Jones, among others.
“Their open letter sends a blunt warning: Federal and state government interference is threatening the independence of universities and colleges, undermining college athletics, and harming campus culture,” the Support Campus Freedom website announced.
