Judge on West Point Speech Restrictions: 'Close This Case'

A federal judge just told West Point it can't gag its own professors. In a ruling issued on Tuesday, US District Judge Cathy Seibel said the US Military Academy's policy restricting what faculty can publish or say in public violates the First Amendment, permanently blocking the school from enforcing it, per the Washington Post. The policy, adopted in early 2025 after President Trump ordered military academies to avoid promoting ideas deemed "radical" or "un-American," required professors to get approval before publishing articles, giving speeches at conferences, or even appearing on podcasts. "Close this case," Seibel instructed on Tuesday, per Law & Crime.

The case revolved around law professor Tim Bakken, one of West Point's earliest civilian hires and a longtime critic of the academy, per the Post. Bakken, who'd sued over the rules, said the judge's decision underscores the importance of academic freedom. He has written two books critical of the military's culture, and the new policy could've cost him his job. West Point and the Pentagon haven't commented; the academy can appeal. The case joins a wave of lawsuits in Trump's second term accusing the administration of undermining constitutional rights, from free speech to due process. (Another West Point science professor is suing over his climate-change teachings.)