The California Department of Education (CDE) is facing backlash for threatening legal action against two Stanford University education professors who were set to testify in a lawsuit against the department. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) argues that the department’s actions infringe upon the professors’ First Amendment rights. This dispute has raised concerns about the ability of researchers to conduct education research in California, as CDE controls the sharing of nonpublic K-12 data. The department requires researchers to sign a restriction clause that prohibits them from participating in any litigation against CDE, even if it is unrelated to their research.
https://edsource.org/2023/california-moves-to-silence-stanford-researchers-who-got-state-data-to-study-education-issues/694920