The Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear a challenge to Indiana University’s use of a “bias response team,” prompting a dissent from Justice Clarence Thomas, who argued the case was an important opportunity to resolve a split among federal courts over whether such programs infringe on student free speech rights.

Bias response teams, which operate at more than 450 colleges nationwide, encourage students to report incidents of perceived bias to school officials. These teams typically do not have direct disciplinary authority but can refer reported students to university administrators or law enforcement for further action.