and has been a Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Florida College of Medicine in Jacksonville for 30 years. In 2021, during the Covid pandemic, Dr. Goldhagen sought UF’s permission, under its conflict-of- interest policy, to testify as an expert witness in a lawsuit challenging Florida’s ban on school mask mandates. He was told that UF, as a public institution, was part of the executive branch of the state government and he could not testify against the Governor. He nevertheless testified, and subsequently joined other UF academic colleagues from the Department of Political Science and Law School in a lawsuit challenging this form of censorship. The political scientists had been prevented from testifying against the State on voter suppression issues, and the lawyers from submitting amicus briefs.
In January 2022, a federal judge granted a preliminary injunction, ordering UF not to enforce the policy in ways that bar faculty from speaking (or testifying) on issues of public concern, or testifying in lawsuits against the state. The court found that the conflict-of-interest policy likely violates the First Amendment.
The judge’s decision remains significant as it establishes a precedent that public university policies that restrict faculty speech or participation in litigation against the state cannot be based on viewpoint or content without violating the First Amendment.
To give expert opinion in an area of professional expertise has long been understood to be a fundamental right of university faculty, and is a basic tenant of academic freedom. To deny this, as Florida sought to do, is government censorship. It lessens the quality of public discourse by preventing professionals from contributing their knowledge, experience and expertise to systems and policy development.
For his courage and perseverance in opposing censorious policies, the Academic Freedom, the Columbia Academic Freedom Council is honored to present Dr. Jeffery Goldhagen with the 2025 Academic Freedom Award.
