Freedom of Speech is Bedrock of Democracy, Says Elon Musk on University of Illinois Case

Billionaire and Tesla founder Elon Musk took to X (formerly known as Twitter) on Thursday, stating, "As promised, this platform will fight for your freedom to speak! We expect many such battles in the future. Freedom of speech is the bedrock of democracy. Without it, America ends." Musk, who is also the CEO of Tesla, made this statement in connection with the recent verdict in the University of Illinois case. Musk, the owner of X, has previously identified himself as a "free speech absolutist." In his commitment to free speech, he has even offered users "no limit" to full funding of their legal bills if they face unfair treatment by employers due to their activities on X.

As promised, this platform will fight for your freedom to speak!

We expect many such battles in the future.

Freedom of speech is the bedrock of democracy. Without it, America ends. https://t.co/R9PNSNBV4R

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 11, 2024

Earlier in the day, Elon Musk's X, formerly known as Twitter, announced in a post on Wednesday that the University of Illinois had rescinded disciplinary action against Juan David Campolargo, a student whom the platform legally defended. The student was reportedly threatened with eviction from campus housing for a post he made about free food at a closed university gathering. This marks another instance of Musk's resistance against universities and his self-proclaimed role as a free speech absolutist.

The post mentioned that the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign had rescinded disciplinary action against Campolargo. However, university Associate Chancellor Robin Kaler couldn’t confirm this development to Forbes, citing federal privacy laws that restrict the university from commenting on disciplinary actions related to identified students.

Campolargo was accused of violating the university’s student code of conduct last year after he posted on X about an open gathering with free food on campus during what was supposedly a closed conference, as reported by the Financial Times. Campolargo, facing conduct probation and potential removal from campus housing, was also accused of theft for allegedly taking discarded food at an event where he had permission to do so, according to X. Musk's platform hired the Schaerr Jaffe law firm to defend Campolargo at no cost and threatened to sue the university, arguing that punishing the student for his post would violate his First Amendment rights, as reported by the Financial Times.

Kaler mentioned that, although she couldn't share details about Campolargo’s case, the university’s disciplinary procedures ensure due process for students and consider the complete circumstances of potential misconduct, whether or not the student is represented by a public or private entity.