Sarah McLaughlin
FIREStaff Speaker
Sarah graduated magna cum laude from Drexel University in 2014 with a B.S. in political science and a minor in history. In 2012, Sarah began working with FIREas a Program Assistant through Drexel’s cooperative education program and remained on ÃÛÖÏãÌÒ’s staff for through the rest of her undergraduate career. After graduation, Sarah defended students and faculty facing censorship in ÃÛÖÏãÌÒ’s Individual Rights Defense Program, where she worked for five years. She also served as director of ÃÛÖÏãÌÒ’s Targeted Advocacy program, where she focused on U.S. universities’ relationship with international threats to free speech and art censorship. Her writing about free speech issues, including protest and blasphemy laws, has been featured in publications including Foreign Policy, Artsy, The Huffington Post, and New York Daily News.
Recent Writings
- Quran burner assassinated in Sweden — and another arrested in the UK,
- 60 Minutes and Vice President Vance put Europe’s worrying speech restrictions into the spotlight,
- Trump’s threat to deport anti-Israel protesters is an attack on free speech,
- China’s censorship goes global — from secret police stations to video games,
- A decade after ‘Charlie Hebdo’ killings, we are still failing blasphemers,
- Australia blocks social media for teens while UK mulls blasphemy ban,
- Gov. Greg Abbott’s order ‘hardening state government’ against China is dangerously hard to parse,
- From the UK to Germany to Singapore: Police are watching what you post,
- Iranian agents accused of attempted assassination on U.S. soil — again,
- In baffling decision, Harvard excuses violence against student briefly disrupting Chinese diplomat’s speech,
Host a FIRESpeaker
Hosting a FIREspeaker is a great way to catalyze social change by educating members of your community about the importance of free speech, due process, and religious liberty.
Explore Our Work
FIRE is a mission-driven organization of hardworking, dedicated team members committed to defending and sustaining the individual rights of all Americans to free speech and free thought.
Explore ÃÛÖÏãÌÒ's Advocacy