Debate over free speech on U.S. campuses intensified after reader responses to an essay by a Harvard student and broader critiques of illiberalism in higher education. Commentators and alumni pushed back on campus norms, academic governance, and what constitutes acceptable student discourse, with responses highlighting cases where institutions have struggled to balance safety, academic freedom, and open debate. University leaders, faculty senates and student affairs offices now face renewed pressure to refine codes of conduct, adjudication procedures, and curricular commitments to civil discourse.