Free Speech, Society

Hair-Raising Case: White Baltimore Arts Executive Fired for Wearing Cornrows

A White Baltimore arts executive was recently fired in September from the Baltimore Rock Opera Society. The reason was not that Kelly Carnes was chronically absent or failed to perform her duties as the new executive director. Rather, it was the hairstyle that she briefly adopted on vacation. You see, Carnes is white, and co-workers were apparently triggered by her getting cornrows while attending the Burning Man festival. It was not deemed a fun hairstyle choice adopted on a vacation but rather a despicable case of cultural appropriation that warranted her termination.

Continue reading “Hair-Raising Case: White Baltimore Arts Executive Fired for Wearing Cornrows” →

Uncategorized

RES IPSA HITS 100,000,000

This week, Res Ipsa hit a milestone in reaching 100,000,000 views on the blog. We have used these moments to give thanks for our many regular readers around the world and share our traffic data to give you an idea of the current profile of readers around the world. We don’t have a running data page, so these periodic posts let our community see the traffic profile of our blog. Continue reading “RES IPSA HITS 100,000,000” →

Courts, Free Speech, Politics

Supreme Court Ends Appeals of Former Pennsylvania Judge Suspended Over Social Media Posts

This week, Judge Mark Cohen’s long, checkered judicial career came to an ignoble end. The Supreme Court denied his petition for certiorari to challenge the 2024 ruling by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court that he was properly suspended over a litany of partisan social media posts while a sitting judge. Continue reading “Supreme Court Ends Appeals of Former Pennsylvania Judge Suspended Over Social Media Posts” →

Free Speech, International

Macron Goes Full Orwell: The French President Makes One More Pitch for Censorship

French President Emmanuel Macron went full Orwell this week. While long the darling of Western media, Macron has been one of the most anti-free-speech leaders in the world. This week, he declared that “The so-called American ‘free speech’ today, which some people have promoted, is the opposite of free speech.” Having Emmanuel Macron holding forth on free speech is akin to Joey Chestnut proselytizing on veganism. Continue reading “Macron Goes Full Orwell: The French President Makes One More Pitch for Censorship” →

Free Speech, International

Fashion Police: Fifteen-Year-Old Boy is Arrested after Joking about how a Politician Dresses
The leader of the Conservative Party on the Wolverhampton City Council, Simon Bennett, apparently can take anything but fashion criticism. The politician reportedly called the police on a 15-year-old boy for mocking his clothing style at meetings. It is the latest example of the collapse of free speech in the United Kingdom.

Continue reading “Fashion Police: Fifteen-Year-Old Boy is Arrested after Joking about how a Politician Dresses” →

Academia, Columns, Politics

The Education Cartel and the Blue State School Scam

Below is my column in the Hill on the education cartel and how it is destroying our K-12 school system. After decades of bloated budgets and failing scores, our school system is now less popular than Cuba and communism. It is a particularly telling comparison in Chicago where union members went to Venezuela to praise the worker’s paradise of the Maduro regime while the school system dumped U.S. bonds in opposition to the American “regime.” Generations of inner-city children are being left without a future due to the failure of our school system, which prioritizes its own survival over its students.

Here is the column: Continue reading “The Education Cartel and the Blue State School Scam” →

Academia, Columns, Criminal law, Politics

Letitia James Appointed Special Counsel Despite Suggesting the Guilt of the Accused

Below is my column in the New York Post on the Cornell rape case and the appointment of Attorney General Letitia James to investigate the allegations. With Democratic politicians and pundits already pronouncing guilt before any charges, let alone a trial, the appointment of James follows an all-too-familiar pattern in high-profile criminal cases. James previously pronounced the guilt of the students before she was appointed by New York Gov. Hochul as the special prosecutor. James publicly denounced what the accuser had “been forced to endure” and called her case “horrific and unacceptable.” She added that, with “all survivors,” that “we stand with you.” It is a signature of James’s notorious approach to prosecutorial ethics.

Here is the column: Continue reading “Letitia James Appointed Special Counsel Despite Suggesting the Guilt of the Accused” →

Academia, Society, Travel Blog

A Walk Through History with the Society of the Cincinnati

On Saturday, I had the honor of receiving the 2026 New Jersey Society of the Cincinnati 2026 History Prize for Rage and the Republic: The Unfinished Story of the American Revolution. It was a beautiful event in one of Washington’s most historic and legendary buildings. I wanted to share a few photos. Continue reading “A Walk Through History with the Society of the Cincinnati” →

Uncategorized

Ha, Ha, Thump: Columbia’s Satire Paper Declares “Land Acknowledgments” are No Laughing Matter

Columbia University satire student paper The Federalist has long relished triggering readers, particularly conservatives. When it mocked the murder of Charlie Kirk, it shrugged off objections and suggested that people need to get a sense of humor. However, the paper has now apologized for something beyond satire: land acknowledgments. The editors issued a cringing apology for a joke about land acknowledgments. It appears that, unlike political assassinations, land acknowledgments are simply not laughing matters. It pledged to focus on something called “punch-up humor” that picks only on “people and systems in positions of power.”

Continue reading “Ha, Ha, Thump: Columbia’s Satire Paper Declares “Land Acknowledgments” are No Laughing Matter” →

Columns, Constitutional Law, Courts, Free Speech, Politics, Supreme Court

“Kayak-tivists” Target the Home of Chief Justice Roberts in Maine in the Latest Protests

There are certain dates that have become a regular feature in American life. In February, the Sandhill Cranes return to the Platte River in Tennessee. In March, the swallows return to San Juan Capistrano…and in October, the protesters have returned to Hupper Island, the summer vacation home of Chief Justice Roberts. Continue reading ““Kayak-tivists” Target the Home of Chief Justice Roberts in Maine in the Latest Protests” →

Constitutional Law, Free Speech, International

French Feminist Convicted of the Crime of “Public Insult” for Refusing to Call Transgender Mayor a “Woman”
Dora Moutot is a feminist who has dedicated much of her life to fighting for women’s rights and has built a following on social media. Like other feminists, Moutot does not view transgender women the same as biological women. She has now joined others who are facing criminal charges for expressing those views. Transgender advocates have demanded that she be punished for her views in France. Continue reading “French Feminist Convicted of the Crime of “Public Insult” for Refusing to Call Transgender Mayor a “Woman”” →
Academia, Bizarre, Criminal law

“Free Luigi”: Rutgers Professor Calls for the Liberation of Accused Murderer Mangione

Roxane Gay is the Gloria Steinem Endowed Chair in Media, Culture, and Feminist Studies at Rutgers University–New Brunswick. She currently serves as the artist-in-residence at Harvard Medical School and called this week for the “liberation” of accused assassin Luigi Mangione. Gay (the cousin of former Harvard University President Claudine Gay) is the latest example of the radical chic of higher education.

Academia, Politics

Education Department Calls for Transparency and Tolerance … Teacher Unions Cry Foul
The decline of higher education into an ideological echo chamber has been widely discussed on this and other sites. Polls show record lows in the public trust in our universities and colleges as revenues decline and closures increase. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon responded to this meltdown with a common-sense call for greater transparency and tolerance. The response from teacher unions has been nothing short of hysteria, led by Randi Weingarten at the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and Todd Wolfson at the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) — two of the most polarizing and political figures in teaching.

Continue reading “Education Department Calls for Transparency and Tolerance … Teacher Unions Cry Foul” →

Congress, Constitutional Law, Free Speech

Protecting the Indispensable Right: It is Time to Pass the Free Speech Attorney’s Fee Legislation

A newly proposed bill in Congress could make a meaningful difference in the fight to restore free speech protections in higher education. The Restoring Civil Rights Attorney’s Fees Act of 2026 would address a practical problem for civil rights and free speech groups suing public universities for the denial of free speech. When universities lose at the preliminary injunction stage, advocates cannot recoup costs and fees. The bill would allow that recovery and, as a result, level the playing field with universities, which can tap public funds to litigate these cases. Continue reading “Protecting the Indispensable Right: It is Time to Pass the Free Speech Attorney’s Fee Legislation” →

Congress, Courts, Society, Supreme Court

Justice (and Justices’ Investments) Should Be Blind: The Alito Controversy Raises Persistent Problem on the Court

Yesterday, Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito recused himself from one of the term’s most important cases: Suncor Energy Inc. v. County Commissioners of Boulder County. As I have previously discussed, the case involving the liability of energy companies for nuisance actions tied to climate change could have sweeping implications for the country. Justice Alito should be commended for avoiding even the appearance of a personal interest or a conflict in the case. However, the controversy should prompt the Court to explore a longstanding problem for justices in holding financial interests that can conflict with their duties. The solution is simple: justices need to use blind trusts. Continue reading “Justice (and Justices’ Investments) Should Be Blind: The Alito Controversy Raises Persistent Problem on the Court” →

Res ipsa loquitur – The thing itself speaks