The first sight visitors may get on their way into Bloomington is a billboard accusing Indiana University of a coverup.
The sign was rented by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, a free speech advocacy group. It has squared off against the university multiple times before, ranking IU near the bottom in the nation on First Amendment rights.
But its criticism has never been this visible. On an electric billboard near Kinser Pike and the State Road 45/46 bypass, FIRE posted a message in white text on a black background: “Indiana University covered up the truth. What are they hiding?”
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It also includes a link to a summary on FIRE’s website of IU’s recent free speech debacles, including a censorship clash with the Indiana Daily Student and the shuttering of campus events. It doesn’t elaborate on what “coverup” the billboard refers to.
Group spokesperson Kati Stalcup said in an email this billboard is the first, but others will go up throughout the month.
IU did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
