When: Tuesday March 25, 2025 6:00-7:30pm

Where: Chestnut Hill College East Parlor

Topic: Where are we today on free speech on college campuses?

In an era of diverse perspectives and complex social issues, how do universities balance the principles of open expression with inclusivity and respect? This interactive discussion will bring together students, educators, legal experts, and community members to engage in civil discourse and critical thinking about free speech, academic freedom, and the role of universities in fostering democratic dialogue.

Theodore McKee was sworn in as a Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit on June 20, 1994, and became the Chief Judge on May 4, 2010. Judge McKee began his legal career at a large Philadelphia law firm, but left there in 1977 to begin a career in public service. Since that time, he has since served as Assistant United States Attorney, Deputy Solicitor to the Law Department of the City of Philadelphia, and General Counsel to the Philadelphia Parking Authority. He was elected to a 10-year term as a Judge of the Court of Judge of the Court of Common Pleas for the First Judicial District of Pennsylvania. While a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas, Judge McKee chaired the Pennsylvania Sentencing Commission. Judge McKee was appointed to the Court of Appeals by President Clinton shortly after being retained for a second 10-year term on the Court of Common Pleas. He serves on the boards of directors of several nonprofit organizations and institutions including the Vera Institute of Justice and Syracuse University. In addition to serving on The Board of The Rendell Center, he is also a member of the Board of Visitors of Temple Law School, an honorary member of the Board of Visitors of Syracuse University Law School and has been an advisor to the American Law Institute’s Project to revise the sentencing provisions of the Model Penal Code.

David Trevaskis is an attorney and former third-grade teacher with a master’s degree in education from Duke University. Trevaskis has long been a champion of non-violence, having been the designer of and original trainer for Project PEACE (Peaceful Endings through Authorities, Children, and Educators), a peer mediation, anti-bullying, and youth court program jointly sponsored by the PBA and the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General. A co-author of the 2017 updated text, School Law: Legal Framework, Guiding Principles, and Litigated Areas, David is an expert on school law and school crisis. He teaches in the classroom and online at the Community College of Philadelphia, Gratz College, Arcadia University, and the University of New England.

Francis Graham Lee, Professor Emeritus of Political Science, Saint Joseph’s University. Educated at the Boston Latin School, received his bachelor’s degree from Boston College, and earned his Ph.D. at the University of Pennsylvania. During his career, Lee served as Dean of the University College and Director of Graduate Programs. His teaching was recognized with the awarding of the Lindback Award. Lee is the author of several books on church-state issues, and volumes dealing with Burger Court, equal protection and the opinions of Chief Justice William Howard Taft.

Krista Bailey Murphy, Ph.D. serves as the Vice President for Strategic Innovation and Title IX Coordinator at Chestnut Hill College. Krista holds a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from Temple University, where her dissertation focused on risk mitigation strategies amongst high-risk, high-achieving college students. She also has an MA from The Ohio State University (Go Buckeyes!) in Higher Education and Student Affairs and a BA from Ursinus College where she played soccer and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa.

Krista has worked at Chestnut Hill College for almost eighteen years. The majority of her time at CHC was spent in Student Life and she is excited that she now has the privilege of engaging with the CHC community in new ways as she works with Student Success, Neurodiversity, and the Center for Accessibility and Learning Services. Drawing from the charism of the Sisters of Saint Joseph and the mission of Chestnut Hill College, Krista centers her work on a deep commitment to just relationships – relationships that honor the dignity of all persons and prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion.