Stanford Law Dean of DEI on leave after failing to uphold free speech policy

Amy | 8:29 PM on March 22, 2023

In an absolutely refreshing (and quite heartening) turn of events, Stanford Law School Dean Jenny Martinez released a statement in which she firmly stands by her decision to apologize on behalf of the school to Judge Kyle Duncan. The Dean, in a ten-page letter to the Stanford Law community, also announced that Diversity, Equity,and Inclusion Dean Tirien Steinbach has been placed on leave:

BREAKING: Dean Tirien Steinbach is on leave, as announced in this document authored by Stanford Law Dean Jenny Martinez:https://t.co/kafXgVMTbB

— Steve McGuire (@sfmcguire79) March 22, 2023

If you’re not familiar with the backstory on this, Judge Kyle Duncan was invited to speak by the Stanford chapter of the Federalist Society. His speech was drowned out by student hecklers, and the administrator in the room didn’t exactly help matters:

Tirien Steinbach, the school’s diversity dean, arrived on the scene when Duncan himself asked for an administrator to restore order. She then took to the podium and, in a video that has now circulated widely online, accused the judge of causing "harm." https://t.co/1vxTfWZkJG

— Aaron Sibarium (@aaronsibarium) March 11, 2023

The full statement outlining the defense of the apology and the plan to prevent future disruptions is here, and it’s well-worth a read, but this excerpt makes it pretty clear that the Dean Martinez means business:

In the message below, I respond below to many of the questions I continue to receive about
why I apologized to Judge Duncan, why I stand by that apology, and why the protest violated
the university’s policy on disruption. I articulate how I believe our commitment to diversity
and inclusion means that we must protect the expression of all views. And, I outline some of
the steps the school will be taking in the wake of this incident, including the adoption of
clearer protocols for managing disruptions and educational programming on free speech and
norms of the legal profession.

1/ I commend the dean of Stanford Law, Jenny Martinez, for refusing to cater to immature law students' attempts to silence 5th Circuit Judge Duncan because they disagree with some of his views, or to cave to their threats to her for defending his right to speak

— Jenin Younes (former handle @leftylockdowns1) (@JeninYounesEsq) March 22, 2023

It’s a bit disconcerting that we’re at the point that we have to cheer when the Dean of a law school stands up for free speech, but we’ll take it.

At long last, some adults have entered the conversation. We’d heard they were around on campus. Nice to have them weigh in.

— Coyote_Kid (@CoyoteKidSees) March 22, 2023

Here’s hoping this is a trend in the right direction.

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