Aaron Sibarium (Washington Free Beacon), Stanford Law School Ousts Diversity Dean Who Egged on Protest of Federal Judge:

Stanford Law School has parted ways with the diversity administrator who in March joined students in protesting a sitting federal judge, according to an email reviewed by the Washington Free Beacon.

"I write to share that Tirien Steinbach has decided that she will be leaving her role as Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Stanford Law School to pursue another opportunity," Jenny Martinez, the law school's dean, said in an email on Thursday. "Although Associate Dean Steinbach intended to de-escalate the tense situation when she spoke at the March 9 event, she recognizes that the impact of her statements was not as she hoped or intended."

Steinbach had seized the podium from Kyle Duncan, a judge on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, and, in a video that went viral on social media, lambasted the conservative jurist for causing "harm."

"Do you have something so incredibly important to say," she asked, that it is worth the "division of these people?" She went on to tell him that he had to weigh whether the "juice [was] worth the squeeze." …

Though Martinez did not say outright Steinbach had been fired, her email implied that Stanford forced the diversity dean out over the Duncan event.

"Both Dean Steinbach and Stanford recognize ways they could have done better in addressing the very challenging situation, including preparing for protests, ensuring university protocols are understood, and helping administrators navigate tensions when they arise," Martinez wrote. "There are opportunities for growth and learning all around."

Minutes after the email went out, Steinbach wrote to the school separately to address her departure. "The honor I feel to have held this role," she said, "is undiminished by the circumstances surrounding the event with Judge Duncan."

• Bloomberg Law, Stanford Law Diversity Head Is Out After Judge’s Disrupted Talk
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• Daily Mail, Stanford Law's Equity Dean Is BOOTED OUT After Stoking Woke Students' 'Rude' Protest at Conservative Judge Invited to Give Talk: College Shares Scathing Statement Blaming Her For Fueling 'Tensions'
• Inside Higher Ed, Dean at Center of Stanford Law Controversy Resigns
• Law.com, Stanford Law's Associate Dean of DEI Resigns Months After Interrupting Judge's On-Campus Speech
• National Review, Stanford DEI Dean Who Accosted Trump Judge Leaves Law School
• New York Post, Stanford DEI Dean Who Confronted Trump-Appointed Judge Resigns, ‘Recognizes Impact of Her Statements’
• Reuters, Stanford Law Assistant Dean Embroiled in Judge's Free-Speech Controversy Steps Down
• San Francisco Standard, Stanford Dean at Heart of Viral Video With Trump Judge Quits Job

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)
• More On The Law School Free Speech Wars At BYU, Stanford, And Yale (Apr. 15, 2023)
• Promising Signs For Free Speech At Stanford And Other Elite Schools (Apr. 17, 2023)
• Lessons For Law Students And Law Schools From The Stanford Free Speech Imbroglio (Apr. 20, 2023)
• Stanford BLSA Refuses To Help Recruit The Class Of 2026 Due To Administration's Response To Judge Duncan's FedSoc Event (Apr. 20, 2023)
• Lessons For Law Students And Law Schools From The Stanford Free Speech Imbroglio (Apr. 20, 2023)
• Neil Buchanan's 5-Part Series On The Stanford Free Speech Controversy (April 26, 2023)
• Stanford Law School Promised Free Speech Training. It Delivered A Campus Joke. (June 29, 2023)