The University has deemed Bloat@Brown creator Alex Shieh ’27 not responsible for any student conduct violations. Shieh was placed under “preliminary review” in March, after he sent emails to thousands of administrators asking them to “describe what tasks you performed in the past week” — inspired by similar emails sent to federal employees by the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency.
After an administrative review meeting held May 7, Shieh was notified of the University’s decision in a Wednesday letter from Associate Dean and Associate Director of Student Conduct and Community Standards Kirsten Wolfe, which confirmed that “no discipline will be imposed.”
The letter described how the Wednesday meeting provided Shieh an “opportunity to be heard” on alleged violations of the University’s “Acceptable Use of Information Technology Resources Policy” and “Brown Name Use, Trademark and Licensing Policy.” The charges concerned Shieh’s alleged use of non-public databases and representation as a reporter from the Brown Spectator, Brown’s previously inactive conservative-leaning journal that resumed publication this month.
At the meeting, Shieh argued that the Brown Spectator’s use of the word “Brown” intends to describe the subject of their coverage, “not to pretend we are endorsed by the school,” he wrote in an email to The Herald.
All members of the legal board of the Brown Spectator — Editor-in-Chief Benjamin Marcus ’26, Managing Editor Gray Bittker ’27 and Shieh, who serves as publisher — were charged for trademark violation, Shieh told Fox News.
“I’ve spoken with the administration and we’ve had some productive conversations and it seems like there was just a misunderstanding over how we were using the Brown name,” Marcus wrote in an email to The Herald. “We are looking forward to building a positive and constructive relationship going forward.”
In response to Shieh’s case, the board is “pleased to hear that he was found not guilty of all charges,” Marcus added.
The outcome of the University’s review was met by some public applause. U.S. Rep. Troy Nehls (R-T.X. 22), a GOP congressman who sent a letter to President Christina Paxson P’19 P’MD’20 expressing alarm about “administrative bloat” and condemning the University’s investigation, congratulated Shieh in a Thursday morning X post.
Dominic Coletti, a student press program officer at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression who advocated on Shieh’s behalf, wrote in an email to The Herald that the decision “affirms that student journalists can continue to boldly report on Brown’s affairs.”
“This ruling is a win for free speech at Brown, but this fight should never have been started,” Shieh wrote. “I look forward to seeing those behind these charges held responsible so that student journalists can continue reporting on issues of importance without fear of retaliation.”
In an email to The Herald, University Spokesperson Brian Clark emphasized that from its initiation, the University’s review has focused on data use, misrepresentation and naming policies. “Despite continued public reporting framing this as a free speech issue, it absolutely is not,” Clark wrote.
Although Clark declined to comment on the investigation specifically, he pointed to Brown’s student conduct procedures which he says give students “ample opportunity to provide information and participate directly in (the) process to ensure that all decisions are made with a complete understanding of circumstances.”
“Since the start of this matter, Brown has proceeded in complete accordance with free expression guarantees and appropriate procedural safeguards under University policies and applicable law,” Clark wrote.
Elena Jiang is a University News Editor from Shanghai, China concentrating in English Nonfiction and International & Public Affairs.
