FLDF Fellow @theFIREorg. First Amendment advocate. Work contact: graham.piro@fire.org.
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Articles by Graham Piro
Boston University: University Orders Faculty to Take Down Pride Flags
Over the course of the 2025-2026 semester, Boston University ordered faculty members to take down Pride flags displayed in their office windows, citing a university policy banning outward-facing displays. BU president Melissa L. Gillim publicly justified the ban by saying that faculty don’t have the right to speak on behalf of the university.
The quiet death of academic tenure
More than 100 years ago, Stanford University terminated economics and sociology professor Edward Ross and set in motion a wild chain of events that would eventually result in the formal establishment of academic tenure in the United States. People today argue about why Ross was pushed out. Some say it was because he violated university rules concerning partisan political advocacy. Others say it was because his political views clashed with the university’s wealthy backers.
Baseball, blues, and beards: my experience at a Yankees’ spring training game
Spring is a time of change, rejuvenation, and growth. Major league baseball’s spring training has that and more. I had the opportunity to attend two Yankees spring training games at George M. Steinbrenner Field, their AAA-affiliate Tampa Tarpons’ stadium, in Tampa Bay, Florida. I witnessed pitching changes, saw the MLB’s new pitching challenge rules in action, and viewed the growth of the first Yankees beards since 1973.
UH Law School Dean Sues Ken Lawson > Hawaii Free Press
Tuesday, February 25, 2025 Defamation: UH Law School Dean Sues Ken Lawson By News Release @ 7:57 PM :: 19 Views :: First Amendment, Higher Education University of Hawai‘i dean sues law professor who criticized diversity event The twist: The criticisms, from Professor Kenneth Lawson, Co-Director of the Hawai'i Innocence Project, were made 2 years ago. Why the lawsuit now? Could it be because Lawson went public last month with claims UH doctored his course materials?
What happens When UH Hires a Disbarred Ex-Con as Law Professor? > Hawaii Free Press
What happens When UH Hires a Disbarred Ex-Con as Law Professor? By Selected News Articles @ 3:51 PM :: 51 Views :: Higher Education Law professor challenges university after campus ‘shooting’ hypothetical changed in lesson plan The University of Hawai’i violated academic freedom and set a dangerous precedent with unilateral revisions to a law professor’s presentation on a legal concept.
Heartbreaking and hilarious, Will & Harper is a powerful celebration of friendship, acceptance, and transness
There is something wonderfully whimsical about road trips: collecting a few friends, a sparsely connected route with a few notable landmarks and free couches to crash on, and the ideal gas station snacks. In Will & Harper (2024), the collection is a pair of star-studded friends, starting from their roots at Saturday Night Live in New York to end on the coast of California, and almost every flavor of Pringles.
The Wild Robot surrenders its optimism to the wild
Beautiful scenes of island biomes and whales swimming past a half-submerged Golden Gate Bridge are some of the most memorable images of Chris Sander’s animated movie The Wild Robot (2024), based on the book of the same name by Peter Brown. The film portrays the journey of robot Roz (Lupita Nyong’o) when she washes up on the rocky shore of an island full of trees, mountains, lakes, and absolutely no humans.
Love Is Blind Season 7 is a half-apt portrait of the District and its dating scene
“It is the type of town where you get asked out on LinkedIn.” As 31-year-old Perry Slomnicki summed up in one simple sentence, dating in the District is nothing short of a mess. For its seventh season, Netflix’s Love is Blind is back for another round in the “pods,” this time in the nation’s capital.
Reagan (2024): The crusade of modern American propaganda
I strolled into an early Friday afternoon showing of Reagan (2024). The viewership in the Georgetown AMC was wanting: the theater, even with the matinee discount, was populated by my person and an elderly couple that walked in just at the end of the trailers before the movie started. Granted, Reagan presents a historically contentious narrative, namely that the Soviet Union was brought down by the dynamism of one true American: Ronald Reagan (Dennis Quad).
A Quiet Place: Day One lands a solid second place for the franchise
Spoiler Warning for A Quiet Place: Day One Sound design is arguably the most underrated element of film production today. While most everyday movie-enjoyers can understand and distinguish good acting and cinematography from the bad, it takes a little more finesse and purposeful viewing to appreciate how sound and music can subtly toggle a viewer’s emotion. A beautiful score and balanced auditory effects can elevate a decent film to a great one, and a great film to an iconic one.
Dark days for free speech at Hobart and William Smith Colleges (Guest Opinion by Graham Piro)
Graham Piro, of Washington, D.C., is a fellow at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), a a nonpartisan nonprofit dedicated to defending freedom of speech and academic freedom. Popular ideas rarely need protecting, and principles only reveal themselves when they’re tested. It’s only when people utter thoughts that others hate that our collective commitment to free speech is put through the wringer.
Breathtaking in its brutality, Civil War shocks the American conscience
Content Warning: This article contains brief descriptions of warfare and political violence Most Americans have the immense privilege of not knowing what war looks like. They can read every novel, see every documentary, and watch every live television broadcast, but truthfully, they could never imagine what all-out warfare looks like from a first-hand perspective.
Netflix’s Avatar: the Last Airbender may master the elements of spectacle, but loses the heart of the original
A brilliant animated series. A controversial cartoon sequel. An abhorrent film adaptation. Long ago, fans of Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005) made peace with what little they had. Then, everything changed when Netflix announced its new live-action remake. Only the show’s original creators—Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino—could do the series justice, but when the world needed them most, they vanished.
In 2024, Hollywood and haute couture demand drama and spectacle
“She’s brought a ludicrously capacious bag,” Tom Wambsgans (Matthew Macfadyen) sniffed at the $2,890 Burberry tote on the shoulder of Greg Hirsch’s (Nicholas Braun) date. The worlds of high fashion, film, and TV have long influenced each other in a feedback cycle that creates, reflects, and responds to social trends and cultural attitudes. 2023 was the undeniable era of “quiet luxury,” an aesthetic that champions simplicity and subtlety over flashy designer branding.
Turf & Burn: The QB Carousel
After a brief hiatus, Caroline and Dylan are back and feeling spicier than ever recapping NFL free agency. They begin by discussing the flurry of QB contracts and trades, namely Russell Wilson and Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Patriots officially parting ways with Mac Jones, and the drama of Kenny Pickett getting traded to the Eagles and no teams wanting to take Zach Wilson. They also discuss the NHL playoff wild card race in both the East and West and which teams will make it.
Universities Are Drawing The Wrong Lessons From The Capitol Hill Hearing
The holiday break cannot come soon enough for some of America’s elite universities. The fallout from the fateful testimony of three top university presidents on Capitol Hill continues unabated. Liz Magill, the president of Penn, has announced her resignation, while Claudine Gay, Harvard’s president, has barely survived, and MIT president Sally Kornbluth is under fire from alumni.
Dolls and Desires: Unraveling the Layers of Girlhood in Sofia Coppola's Priscilla
As Priscilla Beaulieu (soon to be Presley) navigates the realms between innocence and infatuation, she gently traces a heart around her and Elvis Presley’s names. This snapshot of girlhood, familiar to so many lovesick teens, subtly foreshadows the romance and entrapment that jointly defines the fabric of their iconic relationship.
Anatomy of a Fall is an autopsy of a marriage story
On paper, Justine Triet’s Anatomy of a Fall (Anatomie d’une chute, 2023) sounds like a film you’ve seen before. First, the husband or wife dies under mysterious circumstances; second, the surviving spouse maintains their innocence; third, the investigating detective and/or lawyer intervenes, and the rest of the film follows a cat-and-mouse procedural with some instances of dubious morality scattered throughout the film. These three components form the foundation of Anatomy of a Fall.
The Sickos’ guide to college football
College football is now in full swing, and while most fans are soaking in the season’s top headlines—the incomparable skill of Caleb Williams, the swagger of Deion Sanders’s Colorado Buffaloes, or the possible return of Texas to football powerhouse status—there’s a group of fans out there that prefer a different type of spectacle. These fans—known as Sickos—seek out the weird and unusual corners of college football.
Let Black horror haunt your screens this Halloween
October has begun! Let the horror movie fans crawl out from the underbelly of film nerds and begin their treacherous movie marathons. Whether binging all 10 Saw films or attempting to decode the Stephen King universe, the time is nigh to sink deeper and deeper into your couch until Halloween. Unless you’re a Black horror fan; in that case, you may only have a week’s worth of viewing content that won’t kill you off in the first act or invigorate annoyance at stereotypes.
A Case for the Classics: A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
“1, 2, Freddy’s coming for you…” Released in 1984, Wes Craven’s A Nightmare on Elm Street left a permanent mark on the horror genre and popular culture. It spawned countless slasher tropes, seven total sequels and reboots, and an invasively catchy nursery rhyme parody that countless children recite before knowing its origin.
Heartstopper season two is tender and unapologetically queer
Content warning: This article discusses sexual assault, eating disorders, depression, emotional abuse, and self-harm. Spoiler warning for Heartstopper season two Defining “love” is an impossible task. From the biblical and philosophical to the romantic and platonic, love has always been a common storytelling thread. When viewed through the lens of queerness, seeking definition becomes even more complex.
Everything I got wrong in sports this year: TIER LIST
Man, am I (known for being) a sucker for a good tier list. Unfortunately, I’m not sure I’ve written one this year… just kidding, my 17 page manifesto on coaching replacements for Ewing was an absolute banger. With finals fast approaching, and the seasons of any sports that I’m at all educated in beginning to wind down, I thought it would be a fun (albeit humbling) exercise to look back on some of my worst sports takes from the past academic year.
Turf & Burn: Episode 7
On this episode of Turf & Burn, co-hosts Caroline and Dylan dive into massive NHL playoff upsets, including the Florida Panthers beating the NHL record setting Boston Bruins in Game 7, the Toronto Maple Leafs finally overcoming their first round playoff drought by beating the Tampa Bay Lightning, and the Seattle Kraken becoming theĀ first franchise in NHL history to earn its first ever series win against the reigning Stanley Cup champions, the Colorado Avalanche.
Concert preview: Theo Kandel is bringing folk sincerity to DC’s Songbyrd on April 19
On April 19, folk singer-songwriter Theo Kandel is bringing his sound to DC’s Songbyrd, along with supporting acts Kate Yeager and Rosemary Joaquin. Kandel told The Voice he hopes to be “a modern-day James Taylor,” spiced with “a pinch of nostalgia.” He also cited Jackson Browne, Carole King and Simon & Garfunkel as important influences. Before its April 14 release, The Voice was given an advance listen to his single “Grail Quest,” on which hallmarks of these influences are evident.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is fun for normal people, too!
Leisure Courtesy of Aidan Monaghan/Paramount Although Dungeons and Dragons started as a world of pretend, it’s taken on a life of its own. From helping fuel the satanic panic in the ’80s to being referenced in cult classic shows such as Freaks & Geeks, the tabletop game has long been a pop culture icon. More recently, the game has been thrust back into the mainstream through web series like Critical Role and the Netflix hit show Stranger Things.
Outer Banks' Madison Bailey and Madelyn Cline want you to embrace the Pogue life
“Every time we come back to film, it does feel familiar. It feels like coming home,” Madelyn Cline, who plays Sarah Cameron on the Netflix series Outer Banks, told the Voice. Ahead of the hit show’s third season release on Feb. 23, we had the opportunity to speak with Cline and Madison Bailey, who plays Kiara “Kie” Carrera, about season three, their experiences filming over the course of the pandemic, and their meteoric rise to fame in the process.
Miguel Wilson is reinventing wedding fashion—because it’s his day, too - The Georgetown Voice
Fashion is far more than just the clothes we wear. At its core, it’s a vessel for imaginative feats of self-expression and a conduit for social change. Equipped with a philosophy of activism through fashion, fashion designer and philanthropist Miguel Wilson has challenged the boundaries of men’s formalwear. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Wilson is an award-winning fashion designer specializing in men’s event and formalwear.
Magic Mike's Last Dance strips away logic with its barely there plot
“There’s no nudity in Magic Mike’s Last Dance. There’s not even a thong,” director Steven Soderbergh noted in an interview with Rolling Stone. Inspired by producer and star Channing Tatum’s pre-fame stripping career, the Magic Mike films cast a light on the distinct struggles of male entertainers in a post-Great Recession economy. Behind all the sweaty dollar bills, the first two installments were—at their core—an ode to dance and the resilience of their characters.
Kaleidoscope tries a little bit of everything and struggles with it all
Halftime Leisure Design by Sabrina Shaffer Content warning: This article references racist and xenophobic rhetoric. Author’s note: I watched the show in this order: “Yellow,” “Orange,” “Red,” “Pink,” “Green,” “Violet,” “Blue,” and “White.” Netflix’s newest heist series can be watched in 5,040 different ways: there’s no designated order beyond the season finale. Rather than being numbered, each episode is named after a color, and Netflix gives each viewer a randomly generated order.
She Said offers an engaging (if imperfect) look at the story behind the #MeToo Movement
Content warning: This article discusses sexual assault and misconduct. On October 5th, 2017, The New York Times published an exposé on film producer and Hollywood titan Harvey Weinstein’s extensive history of sexual harrasment and abuse.
Legacy honored as Black Panther: Wakanda Forever tenderly chaperones its audience through grief and loss
With an intricately crafted story steeped in grief and prevailing love, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) is inherently a love letter to those lost—a film so deeply devoted to its mission while it tenderly walks its audience through the stages of grief and chaperones Marvel fans into the next era of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
Black Adam: A boring attempt
Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures/IMDb You may like superhero movies, you may not. You may think they’re all similar. Maybe they are. One thing is for sure, though: They’re not all the same. Some get to be better (the Black Panther movies) and some have to be worse. Black Adam (2022), unfortunately, falls in the latter category.
Cleanse your palettes: The Menu is a meal you won’t want to miss
Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures Content warning: This article includes references to self-harm. The horror comedy has become a burgeoning genre within the contemporary film industry. In the past, Hollywood execs relegated this type of film to the cheesy horror sequel—fun to watch with friends but never excelling past goofy jokes intermixed with gruesome violence.
Good Night Oppy: a story of human love and innovation
Warning: I went through a box of tissues while watching this movie. There’s something to be said for the way our desire to find out if we’re alone in the universe—about how our search for companionship in the deepest and darkest corners of space expresses humanity’s capacity for achingly beautiful love.
“I’m not a monster, I’m a mother”: Making villains of superhero women
Halftime Leisure Wanda Maximoff in "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" Courtesy of cedricdumler/IMDb Sam Raimi did Wanda Maximoff dirty. His early summer entrance into the MCU with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) ignored a season’s worth of character development written for Wanda in WandaVision, the acclaimed Disney+ TV series that launched in early 2021.
A disappointing but nostalgic prequel: Rings of Power (2022) misses big
Warning: spoilers Full Disclosure: If you’re looking for a detailed analysis on how J.R.R. Tolkien’s world works or how his world-building is incorporated into the show, this is absolutely not the article for you, my friend. Growing up, I was initially drawn to the movie adaptations of The Lord of the Rings (2001-2003) and The Hobbit (2012-2014) simply because the films cast some incredibly attractive people.
Hellraiser (2022) is a Twisted Lesson in Remaking a Horror Classic
After a wait of more than 30 years, our favorite “explorers in the further regions of experience” have made their sinister return to the screen, just in time for the Halloween season. On September 28, 2022, Hulu released Hellraiser (2022), a revival of Clive Barker’s cult classic of the same name. Hellraiser (2022) falls in line as another entry into the saturated club of modern horror remakes, leaving horror enthusiasts to ask the question of whether this film can stand out amongst the crowd.
Interracial casting in Hollywood isn’t as progressive as we think it is
Still making waves from its June release to Amazon Prime Video, The Summer I Turned Pretty checked off all the boxes for a quintessential summer drama: first love and subsequent first heartbreak, a messy love triangle, and that coming-of-age magic that captures the hearts of every high schooler.
Students Walkout in Protest of Mike Pence GU Politics Event
On the evening of Oct. 19th, former Vice President Mike Pence came to Georgetown’s campus to speak to young political minds about the future of conservatism, as well as answer student questions. Not all in attendance decided to tolerate his words and presence. The GU Politics event with Pence, called “The Future of the Conservative Movement,” was interrupted by a walkout orchestrated by Georgetown students.
Lack of university support undercuts LGBTQ+ Resource Center during "OUTober"
Since 2009, LGBTQ+ members of Georgetown have celebrated “OUTober” as a way of building community, showing pride, and holding dialogue about gender and sexuality. This OUTober, however, the LGBTQ+ community at Georgetown faces a glaring and continual problem: Since the beginning of the fall semester, the LGBTQ+ Resource Center has been operating without any full-time, professional staff members.
Amsterdam’s star-studded style can’t make up for its lack of heart
Leisure Courtesy of 20th Century Studios Shocking twists, zany characters, and fast-paced antics: Amsterdam (2022) takes place in 1930s New York City, where three friends find themselves roped into one of the most outrageous plots in American history after witnessing a shocking murder.
FIRE to the University of Idaho: Defend faculty’s First Amendment right to discuss abortion, contraception
Today, FIRE wrote a second letter to the University of Idaho’s leadership urging them to do more to support faculty in the wake of a new state law that threatens criminal penalties for faculty who do not maintain neutrality when discussing abortion in the classroom. Last week, FIRE demanded that the university retract guidance restricting how faculty can talk about abortion in the classroom.
D.C. continues administering vaccines as monkeypox declines
Washington, D.C. was the city with more monkeypox cases per capita than any state for several months over the summer, with 436 officially reported cases since Sept. 1. Cases have declined 20 percent on average since July, however, due partly to a strong vaccination effort. In early May 2022, cases of monkeypox began appearing in countries where the disease is not endemic, and the case count has since increased in both endemic and non-endemic countries, such as the U.S. As of Sept.
Emerson says new president must appreciate ‘diverse ideas’ and ‘free expression.’ Its treatment of TPUSA says otherwise.
In the last 12 months, more than 1,500 people submitted cases to FIRE when their rights were in jeopardy. Hear their stories — and how we're fighting back — by subscribing today. FIRE > Newsdesk > Top Story > Emerson says new president must appreciate ‘diverse ideas’ and ‘free expression.’ Its treatment of TPUSA says otherwise.
Penn Law Dean Asks for 'Major Sanction' Against Tenured Prof
Penn Law Dean Asks for 'Major Sanction' Against Tenured Prof The University of Pennsylvania Law School has asked the school's faculty senate to begin the process of punishing tenured law professor Amy Wax. Read Full Article »
Victory: Penn State rescinds imposition of excessive security fees on student group after letter from FIRE
Penn State’s response models how other universities should respond when the cost of providing security for student events threatens students’ expressive rights. (Kristopher Kettner / Shutterstock.com) by Graham Piro Penn State is lifting the excessive security fees it imposed on the student group Uncensored America, marking a win for free expression in the Keystone State.
Penn Law dean asks for ‘major sanction’ against professor Amy Wax, creating tenure threat for all Penn faculty
The University of Pennsylvania Law School has asked Penn’s faculty senate to begin the process of punishing tenured law professor Amy Wax — up to and including termination — for what’s characterized as “intentional and incessant racist, sexist, xenophobic, and homophobic actions and statements.” While members of the Penn community are free to denounce and challenge controversial statements, they cannot punish Wax for her expression without weakening and tenure protections for all Penn faculty.
By making student group pay lion’s share of security fees for controversial on-campus event, Penn State risks chilling student expression
In late April, the Penn State chapter of Uncensored America organized a debate between Elijah Schaffer (left), a reporter for the conservative outlet The Blaze, and Steven “Destiny” Bonnell (right), a political commentator and YouTube personality. The debate proceeded without disruption. (Mark Del Pozo) by Graham Piro Controversial on-campus speakers or events often put a public university’s obligation to uphold students’ rights to free speech to the test.
Soka professor unjustly punished for ‘triggering’ students with readings on ‘Writing the Body’ gets split decision from faculty committee of just two
Professor Aneil Rallin (Photo courtesy of Aneil Rallin) Now, the dean that launched the investigation will break the tie on whether to strip three-time professor of the year Aneil Rallin of tenure — before Soka’s president has final say.
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