Professors are afforded "special" legal protection "because of the contribution professors and universities make to public discourse, the pursuit of knowledge, and the teaching of critical thinking"
However, this protection may only apply "when professors are speaking within their academic expertise"
"[a] law professor speaking on a matter of law or a medical school professor addressing the effectiveness of vaccines should be protected," but some argue that it may not apply to "a law school professor speaking about medicine or a doctor speaking about constitutional law"
"On matters outside their expertise [some argue], the professor's rights are no different than an ordinary citizens'."