Educational Censorship in the US Poses Grave Threat to Democracy and Human Rights

As the United Nations Universal Period Review (UPR) pre-session for the United States approaches, PEN America and PEN International are sounding the alarm on the alarming rise of educational censorship in the country. This insidious trend threatens the fundamental rights of students, educators, and the public to access information, stifles creativity, and erodes the right to seek, receive, and share knowledge. State and federal efforts to censor colleges and universities have reached a critical level, with 2025 setting a disturbing new record for the number of state bills and policies introduced and enacted across the country.

Key Takeaways:

• PEN America and PEN International are highlighting violations of the rights to education, free expression, and non-discrimination stemming from recent state and federal efforts to censor colleges and universities.
• Since 2021, state-level efforts to censor higher education have risen dramatically, with 2025 setting disturbing new records for the number of state bills and policies introduced and enacted.
• The joint submission draws attention to state-level legislation and policies that explicitly censor topics and materials addressed in college and university classrooms, undermine free expression on campuses, and weaken tenure protections for faculty.
• Recent federal orders and actions have expanded the scope of these attacks, threatening the rights of specific students and programs designed to ensure equal access to higher education.
• PEN America and PEN International are calling on the UN member states to recognize this wave of censorship as a grave threat to democracy and human rights, and urge the US government to repeal executive orders contributing to nationwide censorship of public education.

Statistics:

• Since 2021, over 100 state bills and policies have been introduced and enacted across the US, targeting higher education.
• In 2025, a record number of state bills and policies were introduced and enacted, with at least 25 states imposing new censorship measures on colleges and universities.

Sources:

• PEN America, "Educational Censorship in the United States Poses Serious Human Rights Threat, Warn PEN America and PEN International" (NEW YORK | LONDON)
• PEN International, "Joint Submission to the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the United States" (April 7, 2023)
• UN Human Rights Council, "Universal Periodic Review: United States" (November 2025)