Does Northwestern’s $75m Trump deal stifle speech? Here’s why First Amendment experts are alarmed

Northwestern’s $75m Trump agreement raises First Amendment questions. (Getty Images)

Northwestern University’s agreement to pay $75m to the Trump administration in exchange for the restoration of nearly $790m in federal research funding has drawn scrutiny from constitutional scholars and free speech advocates, raising questions about the limits of government influence over higher education.The deal, announced as the university sought to regain access to frozen federal funds, includes restrictions affecting admissions practices, campus protests and institutional policies, prompting legal experts to warn of potential conflicts with First Amendment protections, according to interviews conducted by the Higher Ed Dive.Funding restoration tied to speech conditionsUnder the agreement, Northwestern committed to changes that bar the use of personal statements, diversity narratives or references to racial identity in admissions where such material could be seen as justifying discrimination. The deal also restricts on-campus displays, limiting banners, flyers and chalking to designated areas, and prohibits overnight demonstrations across university property.The agreement further cancels a prior arrangement with pro-Palestinian protesters and reverses policies adopted under that understanding, including plans for a dedicated space for Muslim and North African students. University officials also agreed to certify ongoing compliance with the deal to the federal government.Northwestern law professor Heidi Kitrosser said the arrangement compromised the institution’s independence. “Northwestern has allowed its institutional judgment in terms of academic freedom, in terms of student speech, in terms of admissions criteria to be overridden by the demands of the federal government,” Kitrosser said in remarks quoted by the Higher Ed Dive.University response and internal disagreementIn a video statement, interim president Henry Bienen rejected claims that the university had surrendered autonomy. “I would not have signed anything that would have given the federal government any say in who we hire, what they teach, who we admit or what they study,” Bienen said, in comments shared with the Higher Ed Dive. “Put simply, Northwestern runs Northwestern.”That view was challenged by Stephen Rohde, a constitutional lawyer and Northwestern alumnus, who described the agreement as “a sad day for higher education”, according to the Higher Ed Dive. Rohde said the university had limited its ability to adjust policies affecting students and faculty.Legal questions and Supreme Court contextKevin Goldberg, vice president of the Freedom Forum, said the deal’s language lacked the precision needed to withstand First Amendment scrutiny. He pointed to a federal court ruling involving Indiana University, where restrictions on overnight demonstrations were struck down, in conversation with the Higher Ed Dive.Goldberg and Kitrosser both argued that while Northwestern is a private institution, federal pressure linked to funding complicates the analysis. Kitrosser said the university agreed to the terms “at the barrel of a gun”, a phrase she used in discussion with the Higher Ed Dive.Kitrosser also cited the Supreme Court’s 2024 decision in National Rifle Association of America v. Vullo, which held that government officials may not coerce private entities to suppress disfavoured speech. She contrasted that ruling with Murthy v. Missouri, where claims of government pressure on social media companies were dismissed due to evidentiary challenges, as explained by Adam White of the American Enterprise Institute to the Higher Ed Dive.Rohde said Northwestern could have followed the approach taken by Harvard, which won a federal court ruling in September finding that the Trump administration violated the university’s First Amendment rights by freezing funds, a point he raised in remarks to the Higher Ed Dive.