New York Times, Behind the Story: Free Speech Controversy at Stanford:

This week, my colleague Vimal Patel wrote about what happened at Stanford, including the recent release of a 10-page memo by Jenny S. Martinez, the law school dean, that supported Duncan’s right to speak on campus and criticized Steinbach’s response. The memo also announced that Steinbach was on leave.

I spoke to Vimal, who covers higher education for The New York Times, about his reporting and how this incident fit into our current high-pitched political environment and understanding of free speech at universities nationwide. Here’s our conversation, lightly edited: …

As you’ve written, the issue of free speech on college campuses isn’t a new one. Why did this particular incident garner so much attention?

The recorded remarks by Steinbach came at a time when diversity, equity and inclusion jobs are under attack from conservatives. Her intervention felt like a Rorschach test. What did you see? A D.E.I. dean expressing sympathy for students heckling a federal judge and also admonishing him? Or a deft administrator stepping into a challenging situation, calming students down and insisting they listen to the judge?

New York Sun, Stanford ‘Diversity Dean’ Regrets Heckling and Jeering of Judge Duncan, Admits Mistakes Were Made:

The heckling of a federal appellate judge at Stanford Law School has been met with much scrutiny in recent weeks, raising questions about free speech culture at elite universities. The dean who told Judge Kyle Duncan of the Fifth Circuit that students who harangued him were justified is now saying she made a mistake.

In an interview with The New York Times, Tirien Steinbach admitted that students’ heckling of Judge Duncan, a conservative, got out of hand and does not reflect her own commitment to freedom of speech.

“My role was to de-escalate,” Ms. Steinbach said of the event. “I hoped, give the judge space to speak his prepared remarks.” 

• Campus Reform, Amid Censorship Scandal, Embattled Stanford Law DEI Dean Says She Was Merely Trying to 'Balance' Dialogue
• Froma Harrop (Real Clear Politics), Free Speech Needs Muscle
• Michael Poliakoff & Steven McGuire (American Council of Trustees and Alumni), Stanford Law Dean Has the Right Ideas But Needs to Do More
• San Francisco Standard, Calls Grow for Stanford’s Scandal-Plagued President To Step Down
• Washington Examiner, Stanford Tries to Forget a March of Misery: 'Things Will Improve'

Prior TaxProf Blog coverage:

• Stanford President And Law Dean Apologize To Fifth Circuit Judge For Disruption Of His Speech (Mar. 13, 2023)
• Students Target Stanford Law School Dean In Revolt Over Her Apology To Federal Judge FedSoc Speaker (Mar. 15, 2023)
• More Commentary On The Disruption Of A Federal Judge's Speech At Stanford Law School (Part 1) (Mar. 16, 2023)
• More Commentary On The Disruption Of A Federal Judge's Speech At Stanford Law School (Part 2) (Mar. 18, 2023)
• Dean Martinez's 10-Page Letter To The Stanford Community About The Disruption Of Judge Duncan's Speech (Mar. 22, 2023)
• DEI Dean Escalates Battle Against Dean; Stanford Law School's Sole Conservative Professor Weighs In (Mar. 24, 2023)
• More Commentary On The Disruption Of A Federal Judge's Speech At Stanford Law School (Part 3) (Mar. 27, 2023)
• UC Berkeley Dean Erwin Chemerinsky: Stanford Law Students Violated Free Speech By Shouting Down A Conservative Speaker (Mar. 29, 2023)
• Judge Kyle Duncan: What We Must Expect of Our Law Schools (Mar. 30, 2023)
• More Commentary On The Disruption Of A Federal Judge's Speech At Stanford Law School (Part 4) (Mar. 31, 2023)
• Will The ABA And California Bar Get Involved In The Stanford Law School Free Speech Imbroglio? (Apr. 1, 2023)
• Law Profs' Petition Backs Stanford DEI Dean's 'Unimpeachable Approach' With An 'Obviously Repellent' Federal Judge (Apr. 3, 2023)
• Federal Judges Ho And Branch Add Stanford To Their Law Clerk Hiring Boycott (Apr. 3, 2023)
• More Commentary On The Disruption Of A Federal Judge's Speech At Stanford Law School (Part 5) (Apr. 4, 2023)
• Stanford President Renews Commitment To Academic Freedom Amid Law School Controversy (Apr. 5, 2023)
• More Commentary On The Disruption Of A Federal Judge's Speech At Stanford Law School (Part 6) (Apr. 8, 2023)
• NY Times: At Stanford Law School, The Dean Takes A Stand For Free Speech. Will It Work? (Apr. 13, 2023)