In the winter of 2022, Stuart Reges, a computer science professor at the University of Washington, attached the following to his course syllabus: “I acknowledge that by the labor theory of property, the Coast Salish people can claim historical ownership of almost none of the land currently occupied by the University of Washington.”
This passage, meant to be an adaptation of the university’s own land acknowledgement, which reads: “The University of Washington acknowledges the Coast Salish peoples of this land, the land which touches the shared waters of all tribes and bands within the Suquamish, Tulalip and Muckleshoot nations,” stirred up quite the controversy following its publication.
Even Reges, a self-proclaimed Georgist, stated he “wasn’t sure it was a good idea.”
The repercussions were immediate. It began with students posting on Reddit and was swiftly followed by an X post from the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science, saying they were “horrified” by Reges’ comments.
Allen School @uwcse on X. January 4, 2022.
The University created an alternate class section with a new professor and forcefully removed the passage from the online version of the syllabus, and the Allen School Director, Magdalena Balazinska, requested that students file discrimination complaints. This, however, was the extent of the situation for the rest of UW’s winter quarter.
At the start of the spring quarter, Reges sent an email to Balazinska and other professors, detailing his intent to include the same land acknowledgement passage in the syllabi of his spring quarter classes. The Allen School then leveled an ultimatum on Reges: either remove the passage or face an investigation from the University for a breach of conduct. He chose not to remove it.
In June of 2022, Reges sued, arguing that the censorship and punishment he received were unlawful under the right to free speech granted by the First Amendment. UW’s counterargument was that Reges’ speech was disruptive and, as such, should be curtailed.
The district court initially sided with the UW in 2024, throwing out Reges’ case with the argument that his speech was directly intertwined with his duties as a teacher and was thus not protected. However, after appealing, the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit sided with Reges on Dec. 19, 2025, ruling that UW’s persecution and actions were unconstitutional under the First Amendment. Reges still teaches at UW today.
This decision comes at a time when our administration is reshaping higher education in the US, with budget slashes, research cuts, and the removal of professors with opposing views. The affirmation of the validity of free speech, such as that granted to Reges, has become increasingly important in today’s increasingly radicalized world.
