The History of Harvard s Opposition to Single-Sex Organizations | RealClearEducation

It s hard to understand how a policy that penalizes students involved in certain types of social organizations is consonant with the rights of students as set forth in the university s statement. RealClearEducation asked Harvard whether the free expression clause of the statement implicitly protects students right to free association, but the university did not respond to the request.

The second important question relates to Harvard s stated justification for the policy address[ing] deeply rooted gender attitudes among its students. Should a private school treat students expressive and associational rights as expendable in the pursuit of improved gender relations on campus?

Ryne Weiss, chief research officer to the president at the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), told RealClearEducation that framing expressive freedoms in opposition to diversity and inclusion is a mistake.

The costs of eroding fundamental civil liberties like the freedom of association are borne heaviest by women and racial minorities throughout history, Weiss said.

via www.realcleareducation.com

Most of the single-sex organizations at Harvard are, I infer, pretty odious. But if all things odious were banned by Harvard, it would have to put itself out of existence. Oh alright, I jest, in part.