Two legal flashpoints this week put free-speech and federal enforcement at the center of higher‑ed operations. A University of Kentucky law professor, Ramsi Woodcock, filed suit after being reassigned amid online calls for military action against Israel; he seeks reinstatement and challenges state and federal policies tied to the IHRA antisemitism definition. Separately, U.S. District Judge Rita Lin granted a preliminary injunction blocking the administration from canceling University of California funding without hearings, concluding the government had pursued a campaign to pressure universities over alleged ‘‘left’’ viewpoints. The rulings and filings underscore escalating clashes between campus speech controversies, Title VI enforcement, and federal funding leverage—forcing campus leaders to balance compliance, academic freedom and political risk.