Earlier this month, Felician University hosted an Ethics Roundtable titled “Whose Speech, Whose Streets? Navigating the Ethics of Protest in Polarized Times,” in partnership with the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics and the Blessed Mary Angela Institute. The event invited participants to engage in open dialogue about the ethical challenges surrounding protest, free expression, and institutional responsibility.

Building on that theme, the discussion examined how expanding protest movements and heightened political discourse are reshaping the boundaries of public expression. Across campuses and city streets, voices demanding justice and accountability have grown louder—raising urgent questions about whose speech is protected, whose is silenced, and how institutions should respond. The session explored the ethical tensions at the heart of free speech, hate speech, and protest, especially when expression becomes controversial, disruptive, or potentially harmful. Through real-world cases, from campus demonstrations to debates over religious and political expression, participants considered how ethical principles can guide decisions about speech, dissent, and the responsibilities of individuals and institutions in diverse communities.

Panelists Jamie Herman, former CEHV Graduate Research Associate and current Associate Director of Educational and Professional Initiatives at The Prindle Institute for Ethics, and Sally Moore, a current CEHV Graduate Research Associate, drew on insights from their co-authored paper “Caught in the Crossfire: Navigating Institutional Neutrality Amidst Campus Controversy & Competing Demands.” Their remarks highlighted how universities and other institutions can navigate the competing demands of neutrality, free expression, and moral responsibility in times of social conflict.