University President Sounds Alarm: Survey Finds Nearly Half of Students Justify Violence for 'Hate Speech'

A recent national survey indicates that nearly half of undergraduate students surveyed believe that physical force can be warranted to halt what they perceive as "hate speech." This finding has prompted a university president to assert that the landscape of higher education has significantly "lost its way."

The Buckley Institute's 2026 National Undergraduate Student Survey revealed that 45% of students endorsed the use of violence to counteract speech they label as hateful. The demographic breakdown showed this view was held by 54% of liberal students, 36% of moderates, and 30% of conservatives.

Survey Reveals Support for Violence and Ideological Shifts

Beyond the views on violence, the study uncovered other significant sentiments: 46% of students supported disrupting speakers through "shout downs," and 40% felt that speech deemed offensive should lead to criminal charges. Furthermore, the survey indicated a preference for economic systems, with 42% favoring a socialist system over a capitalist one, chosen by 28%. A concerning 22% of respondents also expressed the belief that the United States was deserving of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Dr. Gerson Moreno-Riaño, President of Cornerstone University, interpreted these survey results as primarily a "moral formation issue" rather than solely a question of free speech. He cautioned that students appear to have cultivated a sense of "violent entitlement."

Dr. Moreno-Riaño suggested that this emerging entitlement and underlying resentment contribute to why many employers are increasingly questioning the real-world value of a college degree.

"It's not just what some will say are worthless degrees. It's also what's behind the degree. Individuals who have been taught to resent, not to reason, not to deliberate, not to have deep conversations with those with whom they disagree," he stated. "Rather, it's grievance, anger, violence, entitlement, and then violent action against it. And that to me is a significant problem. Again, not a free speech issue. It's really about how moral education in higher ed has lost its way. We're training people to be grieved, angry, entitled, violent. And that does not bode well for our democracy and our republic."

Moral Compass Lost in Higher Education

Dr. Moreno-Riaño, who assumed leadership of the private Christian university in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 2021, stressed that American higher education has been "lost" for decades, asserting that it has become "godless."

He explained his view: "When there is no moral compass in higher ed, there's a vacuum, and what fills it? Ideologies, communism, socialism, grievance, culture. That's what's happened, and it's been happening for years." He further added, "Not only that, there's an anti-history bent in higher ed. When you think about today's young students not really knowing the evils of communism, the evils of socialism, and believing it's inspirational, that demonstrates just the moral bankruptcy, but also the academic bankruptcy of these institutions."

Employer Concerns and Future Implications

Dr. Moreno-Riaño contended that a growing number of employers might begin to question the benefit of hiring college graduates, potentially opting instead to train individuals directly after high school.

He elaborated, stating that employers are increasingly troubled by what he termed "worthless degrees" which fail to equip the workforce with the skills needed to address complex challenges. Additionally, he cited concerns regarding the ideological leanings prevalent among many recent college graduates. He cautioned that numerous higher education institutions are cultivating "socialists and Marxists" who seek entitlement and aim to "destroy the system" rather than engaging in efforts to "build it, make it, refine it and improve it."

"I think what's happening is that employers are seeing this and many employers are saying, maybe we should train our own people or maybe we should go into the high schools directly and educate the future at the high school level and forget colleges altogether, because colleges are morally bankrupting our future," Dr. Moreno-Riaño stated. He added, "I think that's what's happening. And if you combine that with artificial intelligence, you have sharp minds without a moral compass. That's a very dangerous thing because a sharp mind without a moral compass is a weapon looking for a target."

He further emphasized the societal implications:

"For a democracy, we need individuals who can reason, who can deliberate, who can speak with those with whom they disagree and not seek violent action against them, but think deeply about what they're saying, reconsider positions, pursue what is good and with courage. If we don't do that, then we're in trouble. And I think the workplace and employers are seeing that and want to shift that in a different direction."

Dr. Moreno-Riaño underscored the necessity for American higher education to undergo a fundamental "shift," asserting that it must "take moral formation seriously and not be grounded in entitlement and grievance culture."

Survey Methodology

The Buckley Institute survey was carried out by Inquire LLC and collected responses from 803 full-time undergraduate students under the age of 25. These participants were enrolled in four-year public or private colleges and universities, completing the online questionnaire between September 5 and September 14.