Stanford Law School has made the decision to part ways with Tirien Steinbach, the diversity administrator who participated in a protest against Judge Kyle Duncan, a sitting federal judge. In an email, Jenny Martinez, the law school’s dean, stated that Steinbach had chosen to leave her role as Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion to pursue another opportunity. The incident occurred in March when Steinbach grabbed the podium from Judge Duncan and criticized him, causing the situation to escalate.
During the protest, Steinbach questioned the judge’s right to speak and commended the hecklers, who allegedly made inappropriate and offensive remarks. This incident, along with others at elite schools, has highlighted the intolerance fostered by some diversity bureaucrats. Similar cases have surfaced at Yale Law School, leading to damage control and reassignments.
While the email from Martinez did not explicitly state that Steinbach was fired, it hinted that her departure was a result of the Duncan event. The email acknowledged that there were areas where both Steinbach and Stanford could have handled the situation better, including preparing for protests and understanding university protocols.
Steinbach addressed her departure separately, expressing her continued honor to have held her role despite the circumstances surrounding the event with Judge Duncan. However, the pressure on the school to take a harder line on free speech has been mounting. Judge Duncan himself called for Steinbach’s termination, citing a “bizarre therapy session from hell,” and two circuit court judges announced that they would no longer hire clerks from Stanford Law until “meaningful, lasting institutional change” is made.
In addition to Steinbach’s departure, Stanford’s president, Marc Tessier-Lavigne, also announced his decision to step down after an investigation found that he had not taken sufficient action to address doctored research. These recent developments indicate a growing concern among conservatives about the state of free speech and ideological bias on college campuses, calling for a more balanced and fair approach to diverse perspectives.
