Earlier this month, progressive students and a “diversity” dean at Stanford University shouted down a federal judge while he was addressing students in a speech regarding his time on the bench.
Video from U.S. Circuit Judge S. Kyle Duncan’s attempted speech shows manic law students expressing wildly uncivilized behavior. One student shouted, “We hope your daughters get raped,” another shrieked, “your racism is showing.” It wasn’t long before the school’s associate dean for diversity, equity, and inclusion, Tirien Steinbach, stepped in and sided with the unhinged students.
“Stanford Law School’s website touts its ‘collegial culture’ in which ‘collaboration and the open exchange of ideas are essential to life and learning.’ Then there’s the culture I experienced when I visited Stanford last week . . . I gave a talk there a few years ago and found it a warm and engaging place, but not this time.”
U.S. Circuit Judge S. Kyle Duncan
Duncan had been invited to speak by the student chapter of the Federalist Society and was prepared to share his experience and expertise with current law students as he had a number of times in the past.
“When I arrived, the walls were festooned with posters denouncing me for crimes against women, gays, blacks and ‘trans people.’ Plastered everywhere were photos of the students who had invited me and fliers declaring ‘You should be ASHAMED’ with the last word in large red capital letters and a horror-movie font.”
U.S. Circuit Judge S. Kyle Duncan
Tirien Steinbach did not enter the classroom ready to defend the federal judge, who had taken valuable time out of his schedule to address these soon-to-be lawyers. She immediately condemned Duncan’s presence, stating, “It’s uncomfortable to say this to you as a person. It’s uncomfortable to say that for many people here, your work has caused harm . . . This event is tearing the fabric of this community that I care about.”
“For many people at the law school who work here, who study here, and who live here, your advocacy — your opinions from the bench — land as absolute disenfranchisement of their rights,” the diversity dean concluded.
“Steinbach, a former program officer at the American Civil Liberties Union, spoke at length about her commitment to free speech — while refusing to offer Judge Duncan an opportunity to speak.”
New York Post
Duncan was appalled by the actions of the staff and students, stating “I told [the students] this is not going to work in a courtroom, this way of disagreement. Maybe that’s where we are going as a society, but that doesn’t work in my courtroom.”
Days later, Stanford University issued an apology to Duncan, calling the student’s behavior “inconsistent” with the school’s policies on free speech. Tirien Steinbach has been placed on leave since the incident, but many are saying she should be permanently fired from the institution such as Daily Wire host Michael Knowles.
The argument for her removal is simple: the school cannot have two conflicting policies enacted at once. Free speech cannot coexist with diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Either DEI will shout free speech down, or someone is going to eventually say something offensive (and that is okay). Law school is meant to challenge students and offer opposing views. Hopefully, Stanford University makes the correct decision to value freedom of speech more than progressive liberal doctrine.
