Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas says elite institutions like Stanford Law School are “presumptively off limits” to conservative figures like him.
Speaking at a Hoover Institution forum on Aug. 11, Thomas claimed such campuses foster hostility.
“That’s the reality,” Thomas said. “That’s the world we’re in, because there’s certain places that are just presumptively off limits. This is the way it works. And that’s true. I mean, I’ve been to Yale Law School, but that’s the way it works. And to say it isn’t is to lie.”
In response, Stanford issued a statement saying, “We would be honored to host Justice Thomas at Stanford Law School … The Stanford Constitutional Law Center, directed by professor Michael McConnell, former judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, regularly hosts members of the judiciary on campus. … Our students and faculty would welcome the opportunity to hear from Justice Thomas and engage with his perspectives on the court, the Constitution and the law.”
However, on March 9, 2023, federal appeals court Judge Kyle Duncan attempted to speak at the law school but was met with fierce backlash from students affiliated with LGBTQ groups.
Initially, two LGBTQ groups demanded that Duncan speak to students via Zoom. When that failed, a group of 90 law students appeared with signs and bullhorns at Duncan’s talk, preventing him from completing his speech.
When Duncan asked for assistance, DEI administrator Tirien Steinbach stood up and acknowledged his free speech rights but sided with the protesters. She claimed his decisions harmed people and asked, “Is the juice worth the squeeze?”
Stanford Dean Jenny Martinez and President Marc Tessier-Lavigne later issued a written apology to Duncan.
This is an obvious statement. In contrast, UC Berkeley would probably approve of erecting a statue of Sonia Sotomayor in front of the law school building.