by Adele Haeg
Yale College Council President Alex Chen introduced Professor David Blight at Tuesday’s teach-in: “We must ask ourselves, when will the university actually defend itself?”
Around 250 Yale professors, students, alumni and faculty gathered on Cross Campus Tuesday afternoon for a teach-in and rally demanding administrators “democratize Yale,” as university President Maurie McInnis continues settlement talks with the Trump administration over the university’s admissions policies.
Speakers with the American Association of University Professors, the Yale College Council, and the Yale Endowment Justice Collective, among other organizations, called for administrators to make trustee selection more transparent, repeal free expression restrictions that were implemented after 2024 campus protests, codify certain academic freedoms, and exit settlement negotiations with the Trump administration.
The event came a month and a half after Mayor Justin Elicker and Senator Richard Blumenthal held a press conference at Yale urging administrators not to “fold” to pressure from the federal government. Click here to read a letter written by McInnis on July 13 in which she committed to “safeguarding academic freedom” amid Yale’s talks with the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Tuesday’s teach-in was “was unregistered and used amplified sound, in intentional violation of University policies,” according to a press release from organizers.
Since several students were arrested during pro-Palestine campus protests in 2024, administrators have implemented new restrictions on campus demonstrations — Downtown/Yale Alder Elias Theodore said organizers “made a point” not to register Tuesday’s event, although such events require approval from administrators.
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