FRae speech is a cornerstone of our nation’s health.
Unfortunately, this truth seems to have been forgotten at Yale Law School. On March 10, Christian Wagoner, a lawyer at Alliance Defending Freedom, and Monica Miller, of the American Humanist Association, participated in a bipartisan panel on civil liberties. The event was hosted by the Yale Federalist Society.
As Kate Stith, a First Amendment law professor at Yale, tries to introduce the wagoner, the video shows students calling and calling her. Stith remains calm and reminds students of Yale’s speechless policies, which students blatantly ignore.
Over 100 students continued to shout at Wagoner as she tried to speak up, enlisting the support of women in athletics and smearing her reputation. Alliance Defending Freedom represents several female track athletes in a process that hopes to protect women’s sports from unfair competition. Wagoner argued twice before the Supreme Court, no small feat. These students should admire the Wagoner’s achievements. Instead, they fear their opinions and restrict their ability to speak.
Finally, the panel closed. Policemen have escorted the wagoner and the miller from the building. Yale Law School has released a statement claiming that Yale police officers were not needed for security but to help reduce noise. It is clear that it was trying to downplay the gravity of the event.
Laurence Silberman, a circuit judge for the District Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, reportedly sent an e-mail to all Article III judges in the United States recommending that all federal judges be “committed to free speech” “carefully. consider “whether Yale law students who participated in the protest should be” disqualified for potential clerkships. ”
Wagoner told me that “law schools used to be places where students were taught that critical thinking, intellectual curiosity, and civility were the hallmarks of an exceptional lawyer. Physical intimidation replaced civil discourse, logic, and belief. [A] The mob has created such an unstable situation that the security of the campus has to escort us out of the building. Instead of condemning this behavior, Yale now seems to be misrepresenting what happened.
This debacle reflects a growing trend in higher institutions. Regardless, it is disturbing to see our next generation of lawyers so fragile and afraid of divergent views that they pursue disruptions through dialogue.
Nicole Russell (@russell_nm) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential Blog. She is one Fort Worth Star Telegram Opinion writer and previously worked in Republican politics in Minnesota.
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