NYU Reverses Decision: Federalist Society Event with Ilya Shapiro to Proceed on Campus

NYU changes its mind, allowing a controversial event to take place on campus. The event, featuring a Jewish speaker, will now happen on a significant day for the Jewish community.

, and Administrator

2025 October 16 . 12:04 PM

1 min read

In this image there is a conference in which there are people sitting in chair and listening to the... — In this image there is a conference in which there are people sitting in chair and listening to the people who are on the stage. It seems like an event in which there is a conversation between the media people and the owners. At the background there is a big hoarding and the wall beside it.

NYU Reverses Decision: Federalist Society Event with Ilya Shapiro to Proceed on Campus

New York University has reversed its decision to cancel a Federalist Society event, allowing it to proceed on its infinite campus with Jewish speaker Ilya Shapiro. The event, initially scrapped due to concerns about controversy and anti-Semitism, will now take place on October 7, a significant day for the Jewish community.

NYU initially bowed to pressure, cancelling the event featuring Shapiro, who is known for his conservative views. The move was criticised by the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), which argued that universities should uphold students' rights to invite speakers of all viewpoints. Shapiro accused NYU of censorship, stating that the university had forbidden a Jewish speaker from addressing a relevant topic on a significant day.

In response to the cancellation, the Federalist Society planned an off-campus event. However, NYU later reversed its decision, allowing the society to host its event on its infinite campus as originally requested. The university confirmed that the event will take place at the originally proposed time and date, with Shapiro as the speaker. FIRE commended NYU's decision to allow the event, stating that it was a victory for free speech.

The reversal of NYU's decision comes amidst ongoing debates about free speech on campus and concerns about anti-Semitism. The event, a live panel discussion on these topics, is set to take place on the second anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel.