Yesterday, Georgetown Law Dean Bill Treanor informed students and alumni that Ilya Shapiro had been placed “on administrative leave, pending an investigation into whether he violated our policies and expectations of professional conduct” by suggesting that Joe Biden’s policy of choosing a SCOTUS nominee based on race and sex is racist and sexist.
Bill Treanor, dean of @GeorgetownLaw, says Ilya Shapiro will be placed on administrative leave pending an investigation into whether he violated policies and expectations for professional conduct. pic.twitter.com/0jor978xSs
— Mark Joseph Stern (@mjs_DC) January 31, 2022
Well, recall that after Treanor sent his initial email condemning Shapiro’s comments, Stern feigned shock at what was happening:
I have not called on @GeorgetownLaw to fire Ilya Shapiro and I don't intend to. In my view, GULC should not make any hasty decisions about his future at this moment. The last thing anyone needs is another alleged martyr of cancel culture. https://t.co/cXOyPLcmND
— Mark Joseph Stern (@mjs_DC) January 27, 2022
And today, Stern is sticking with his story that he never intended for Shapiro to lose his job at Georgetown Law:
Firing Ilya Shapiro is the coward's way out. @GeorgetownLaw knew exactly who he was when it hired him. His racist tweets were part of a longstanding pattern of bigoted trolling. The school is only backtracking because its own bad decision has blown up in its face.
— Mark Joseph Stern (@mjs_DC) January 31, 2022
We agree with Stern that firing Ilya Shapiro would be the coward’s way out. But it’s telling that Stern is trying to absolve himself of any role here, particularly given that he’s tripling down on sliming Shapiro as a racist, bigoted troll.
Recommended
When you are definitely not trying to get someone fired. pic.twitter.com/ODCH614Pcl
— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) February 1, 2022
Just look at this garbage:
These comments from @AdamSerwer, @JillFilipovic, and @HeerJeet capture my thoughts. I'll add one more: If GULC was willing to ignore Ilya's pattern of racist trolling before, it cannot credibly pretend to suddenly care now. The school knows exactly what it signed up for. pic.twitter.com/VCksjLZxEy
— Mark Joseph Stern (@mjs_DC) January 31, 2022
As a frenzied mob of grievance conservatives redirects attention to me, I'd like to reiterate (1) Ilya is responsible for his own words, (2) I do not make GULC's employment decisions, and (3) criticizing a public figure's behavior does not constitute an attempt to get them fired.
— Mark Joseph Stern (@mjs_DC) January 31, 2022
Conservatives are obsessed with the lie that my tweets caused GULC's action today, fueled by National Review's libel that I "solicited" the dean's comment. This outrage-mongering is designed to distract from Ilya's presumption that any Black woman nominated by Biden is "lesser."
— Mark Joseph Stern (@mjs_DC) January 31, 2022
Suddenly Stern is concerned about libel, after baselessly branding Ilya Shapiro a racist sexist? That’s cute. And what was the purpose of him tagging Georgetown Law in his initial tweets about Shapiro if not to solicit a response from them?
These convulsions from the right send a very clear message: Criticize our friend and we will subject you to an unrelenting hate campaign.
It's an obvious attempt to intimidate their perceived foes into silence with an onslaught of repugnant bile.https://t.co/OB94w8jNDJ
— Mark Joseph Stern (@mjs_DC) January 31, 2022
It’s conservatives’ fault that Georgetown Law might fire a good man that Mark Joseph Stern unfairly maligned as racist and sexist with the intent of getting him into trouble with Georgetown Law!
It’s astonishing how fast this thread turned from grievance against Ilya Shapiro to “Help! Help! I’m being repressed!” https://t.co/FIHPfdyNdB
— President Bengal (@PresidentDawg) February 1, 2022
Can’t someone cut Mark a break, already? Hasn’t he been through enough?
Remember when he said he didn't want Shapiro fired?
Well, that wasn't accurate…he NEVER THOUGHT HE SHOULD BE HIRED IN THE FIRST PLACE. https://t.co/IdxgxkIBtI
— Pradheep J. Shanker (@Neoavatara) February 1, 2022
Yes: I do not think GULC should have hired him, but now that it has, I do not think it should fire him. I have now stated these positions many times, and they are not mutually exclusive, even if you put one of them in all caps. https://t.co/AnjUgATkBh
— Mark Joseph Stern (@mjs_DC) February 1, 2022
They aren't mutually exclusive, but considering the rhetoric, I don't see much evidence that you think they should actually not fire him.
In fact, if they fire him, I presume you will not criticize them much at all for it.
— Pradheep J. Shanker (@Neoavatara) February 1, 2022
Furthermore, if you really believe that he deserved no punishment at this point, where is your critique of @GeorgetownLaw for their action today?
If you think that after he was hired there shouldn't be any walkback then I presume you think their behavior today was out of bounds?
— Pradheep J. Shanker (@Neoavatara) February 1, 2022
I expressly endorsed THREE PROMINENT LIBERALS’ CRITICISMS OF GULC (did I do the all-caps thing right?) https://t.co/XrbwydUPjN
— Mark Joseph Stern (@mjs_DC) February 1, 2022
Give that man a cookie. He’s done everything he can to help Ilya Shapiro!
Some people, having told damaging lies, admit the truth and seek forgiveness.
Whereas Mark here has decided to double down.— Garth Godsman (@GarthGodsman) February 1, 2022
It’s technically tripling down, as we noted above (Stern smeared Shapiro in his initial tweets to Georgetown Law and then, then doubled down by suggesting that Shapiro would be an “alleged martyr of cancel culture” if he were fired, and now still contends that Shapiro is a bigot). But Garth Godsman’s point is taken, and it’s the correct one.
You’re a coward and a liar. How about you stand by what you did. You knew exactly the goal. Create a digital lynch mob and when the lynching happened you blame the mob. It’s typical democrat journalism at work. https://t.co/lx8TTDk6sl
— Brandon Farted, let’s go! (@PaperStrawsSuck) February 1, 2022
What would Mark Joseph Stern do if someone decided to comb through his tweets and flag anything suspicious for Stern’s employer, Slate?
I’m not saying that @slate should fire Mark Stern for refusing to condemn pedophiles, but why has he never condemned pedophiles? https://t.co/JLE09uYXFA pic.twitter.com/fMzj4XNEac
— Max (@MaxNordau) February 1, 2022
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