Litmus Test Currently Dead

I've written twice recently about the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities' plan for an ideological litmus test for prospective teachers (and you might correctly guess that it's a somewhat left-leaning litmus test). Joanne reports that under pressure from FIRE, the school has backed down--at least for now.

University of Minnesota-Twin Cities has promised not to enforce a “political litmus test for future teachers,” FIRE (Foundation for Individual Rights) proclaims...

In response to a letter from FIRE, General Counsel Mark B. Rotenberg promised that “[n]o University policy or practice ever will mandate any particular beliefs, or screen out people with ‘wrong beliefs’ from the University.”

Think this is over? No, this is just one skirmish. They'll be back.