New Petition Calls for Colleges to Disclose Protest-Related Violence

America First Legal files petition urging Department of Education to require transparency on campus unrest

Published on Feb. 27, 2026

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America First Legal (AFL) has filed a petition urging the Department of Education to require colleges and universities to regularly disclose all instances of politically or religiously motivated violence occurring on or near campus. The petition cites examples of unrest at UC Berkeley, University of Michigan, and Columbia University, and argues that many such incidents are not fully captured in current Clery Act reports, leaving students and parents without essential safety information.

Why it matters

The petition aims to shed light on the issue of political violence on college campuses, which the AFL argues has been overlooked. By mandating transparency, the goal is to provide students and parents with critical information about campus safety and the measures taken by universities to protect the physical security and civil rights of students.

The details

The AFL's petition calls for the Department of Education to amend the Clery Act to require universities to produce and publish a "Political and Religious Violence Transparency Report" that records and details all violent protests, riots, politically or religiously motivated assaults, and protest-related property damage. The petition argues that this information is not currently being fully disclosed, leaving students and parents unaware of the risks.

  • In November 2020, the Trump administration announced an agreement with Northwestern University requiring the school to pay $75 million and protect students and staff from any "hostile educational environment directed toward Jewish students".
  • The Department of Justice launched an investigation into the unrest that unfolded at UC Berkeley during a Turning Point USA event in 2022.

The players

America First Legal (AFL)

A conservative legal organization that has filed the petition urging the Department of Education to require colleges to disclose instances of political violence on campus.

Emily Percival

Senior counsel at America First Legal, who stated that universities have allowed a "plague of violence to fester in the darkness" and that students and parents deserve the truth about what is happening on campus.

Department of Education

The federal agency that the petition is urging to take action and require colleges to be more transparent about campus unrest and violence.

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What they’re saying

“Universities are meant to be hubs for the free exchange of ideas. Instead, they are hubs of violence and intimidation.”

— Emily Percival, Senior Counsel, America First Legal

“This conduct — though masked as free speech — is not protected by the First Amendment. For too long, universities have allowed this plague of violence to fester in the darkness. Students and parents deserve the truth about what is happening on campus, and the universities should be the ones shining the light.”

— Emily Percival, Senior Counsel, America First Legal

What’s next

The Department of Education has not yet responded to the petition, but if it is accepted, the agency would need to amend the Clery Act to require the proposed "Political and Religious Violence Transparency Report" from colleges and universities.

The takeaway

This petition highlights the ongoing debate over the balance between free speech and campus safety, as well as the desire for greater transparency from universities about incidents of political violence and unrest. The outcome could have significant implications for how colleges and universities address these issues going forward.