Founding Member of ACTA Endorses Candidate in Yale Election

WASHINGTON, DC—Former U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman, a founding member of the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA), recently issued a statement in support of a Yale University alumnus who is a candidate in the upcoming election for members of the Yale Corporation:

“I am proud to endorse Jamie Kirchick in his candidacy for the Yale Board of Trustees. I have known Jamie since he graduated from Yale and have found his writing on a variety of issues to be insightful. The University needs leaders on its governing board who will vigorously stand up for a robust culture of free speech, especially when it’s challenged. This is not a political issue, but a vital commitment for institutions of higher learning. Yale alumni deserve a real choice in this election, and Jamie is offering precisely that. He is an independent thinker with a vision for Yale that is refreshing, bold, and necessary. I urge all alumni to join me in supporting him.”

The election will take place in May of 2019, when alumni will vote six of their own onto the Board. Mr. Kirchick is currently seeking petition signatures in advance of the October 1 deadline, in order to be included on the election ballot. Last June, Kirchick penned an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, setting forth his campaign platform in support of freedom of expression at Yale in light of a series of incidents at the university in recent years. These events have placed doubts on the university’s commitment to the 1974 C. Vann Woodward Committee’s report on freedom of expression at Yale. ACTA has long held that freedom of expression is the lifeblood of all higher education, and is delighted to see board candidates emerging who will protect and foster the freedom to question, speak, and challenge even the most widely-held ideas. ACTA believes this to be especially important at institutions like Yale where free expression has often been under attack.

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CONTACT: Doug Sprei, dsprei@goacta.org