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Stanford students protest dean for apologizing to Trump-appointed judge

Hundreds of black-clad, masked students hijacked a class by the head of Stanford Law School — in protest at her apologizing to the Trump-appointed federal judge who copped abuse from the students.

When dean Jenny Martinez returned to teaching after apologizing to US Circuit Judge Stuart Kyle Duncan for last week’s stunt, she found her classroom vandalized with signs, photos obtained by the Washington Free Beacon show.

“Counter-speech is free speech,” argued many of the fliers — a claim that was printed on most of the students’ masks, the outlet said.

“We have free speech rights too,” read another, while a third demanded an apology.

At the end of her class, all but a handful of Martinez’s class of 60 stood and stared at her silently to suggest they were also being silenced, students said.

Hundreds more then formed a human corridor from Martinez’s classroom to the building’s exit — with those not joining in complaining that they were shunned, according to the report.

“Counter-speech is free speech,” argued many of the fliers that littered the classroom.
Dean Jenny Martinez’s whiteboard was covered in protest signs. Twitter / @espinsegall

“They gave us weird looks if we didn’t wear black” and join, first-year student Luke Schumacher told the Free Beacon.

“It didn’t feel like the inclusive, belonging atmosphere that the DEI office claims to be creating.”

Another student, who was not identified to avoid retaliation, called it “eerie.”

“The protesters were silent, staring from behind their masks at everyone who chose not to protest, including the dean,” the student said — suggesting a similar silent show of objection would have been fitting for Duncan, who was instead stopped from speaking.

Around a third of the school protested dean Jenny Martinez for making her apology, students said.

The judge had called the initial protest last Thursday against him “deeply uncivil behavior” by “hypocrites,” “idiots” and “bullies.”

The protest against his talk to Stanford Law School students was also joined by the university’s dean for diversity, equity and inclusion, Tirien Steinbach.

“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,” Steinbach stated during the judge’s attempt to speak to Stanford’s chapter of the conservative Federalist Society.

In the apology to Duncan, Martinez and Stanford president Marc Tessier-Lavigne admitted that the protest “was inconsistent with our policies on free speech” — a specific “disruption policy” that forbids “heckling or other forms of interruption” at such events.

Judge Stuart Kyle Duncan called the initial protest against him “deeply uncivil behavior” by “hypocrites,” “idiots” and “bullies.” The Federalist Society

Without identifying Steinbach, they also ripped “staff members who should have enforced university policies” and who “instead intervened in inappropriate ways that are not aligned with the university’s commitment to free speech.”

Still, despite widespread condemnation at the protest, at least three student groups slammed the law school for apologizing, according to the Free Beacon.

The Stanford National Lawyers Guild said the apology had thrown “capable and compassionate administrators” under the bus.

The apology condemned Tirien Steinbach, the law school’s associate dean for diversity, equity and inclusion — seen here hijacking Duncan’s talk. Vimeo / Ethics and Public Policy Center

The law school’s Immigration & Human Rights Law Association also claimed that the apology “only made this situation worse.”

Stanford Law School’s chapter of the American Constitution Society also accused the letter of making Duncan out to be “a victim, when in fact he himself had made civil dialogue impossible.”

Martinez did not respond to a request for comment on the latest protest, the outlet said.