October 6, 2025

Free Speech Is Your Right; Respect Is Your Responsibility

By: Center For Accounting Transformation / podcast

Accounting leaders weigh free speech at work and emphasize that professional trust depends on how and where accountants speak.

This conversation focuses on practice, not politics.

In a candid Accounting ARC roundtable, hosts Liz Mason, CPA; Byron Patrick, CPA.CITP, CGMA; and Donny Shimamoto, CPA.CITP, CGMA, examine how free speech intersects with workplace culture, client trust, and professional standards. The trio underscores a shared starting point—condemning violence and safeguarding open expression—while focusing the discussion on what leaders and teams can do now.

Accountants carry an extra layer of duty.
Shimamoto, founder and managing director of IntrapriseTechKnowlogies LLC and founder and inspiration architect for the Center for Accounting Transformation, notes that accountants are widely viewed as objective and independent. That reputation raises the bar for how professionals speak in public forums. The hosts agree: personal views and professional responsibilities can coexist, but public presentation should reflect neutrality and trust, especially where clients and the broader community look to CPAs for clarity.

Employment realities vary by state.
Mason, CEO of High Rock Accounting, stresses that First Amendment protections do not automatically extend to private employment and that state laws differ on political activity and off-duty conduct. She urges professionals to understand their state’s rules and assess cultural fit with current or prospective employers.

Discourse requires timing, place, and purpose.
Patrick, CEO of VERIFYiQ and co-founder and educator of TB Academy, and Mason advocate discretion: choose venues thoughtfully, avoid turning LinkedIn into a political battleground, and prioritize private, respectful conversations over performative posts. Patrick’s rule of thumb—pick conversations that can be productive—helps protect both impact and mental health.

Belonging sets a healthier standard than vague “inclusion.”
Drawing on Center for Accounting Transformation research, Shimamoto frames “belonging” as a better north star: foster teams where individuality is welcome, so long as it does not disrupt collaboration. Leaders, he says, should model civil discourse, encourage common-ground first principles, and reinforce that disagreement does not require disrespect.

Practical next steps help firms move from ideals to action.
The hosts encourage leaders to clarify expectations, discuss boundaries proactively, consider client implications, and provide safe spaces for employees who “process out loud.” They also promote media literacy and exposure to diverse sources to reduce echo chambers and sharpen critical thinking.

At the end of the day, the hosts agree that free speech thrives alongside responsibility when firms set clear expectations, practice respectful discourse, and protect the trust that defines the profession.

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