My long public nightmare is over. Tomorrow I assume my duties as a Senior Lecturer at the Georgetown University Law Center and as Executive Director of the Center for the Constitution. A four-month investigation by the Department of Human Resources and the Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity and Affirmative Action determined that I was not yet an employee when I posted a tweet that was objected to by some at the school (which The journal was covered from the beginning) and was therefore not subject to the relevant policies on anti-discrimination and professional conduct.
It was an experience I probably wouldn’t want anyone else to have except maybe its instigators.
The crowd that started this storm—especially the first few days, were really terrible for me and my family. Although my administrative leave was paid off, the uncertainty made it a roller coaster of emotions and instability, a personal and professional cleanse. I am grateful to the many colleagues who supported my cause. I found out who my friends were, even if I didn’t need to know what I would have been like.
What I achieved was a technical victory, but one that still shows the value of standing up for free speech in the event of its cancellation. That’s even when that speech sucks, as I readily admitted was my critique of President Biden’s decision to limit his Supreme Court pool by race and gender. Although I apologized for my poor phrasing—some advised “never apologise,” but I take pride in clear communication—I stand by my view that Biden should be considered “all potential nominees.” Should have done, because 76% of Americans agreed in ABC. news poll, and that the best option would have been Judge Srinivasan, an Indian-American immigrant.
I am relieved that now I will get to do the job for which I was hired in January. I am sure that even without the technicalities of the jurisdiction, I would have been victorious. Ultimately, Georgetown’s Speech and Expression Policy provides that “the university is committed to free and open investigation, deliberation and debate in all matters, and the uncontrolled verbal and nonverbal expression of ideas.” There’s an exception to harassment, of course, but I probably wasn’t harassing anyone except Mr. Biden.
In any case, I look forward to teaching and engaging in many activities related to constitutional education and originality. With the Constitution as its core, all students and participants in my programs can be expected to be given the right to think and speak freely and be treated equally. Variety of ideas would be welcome.
In reinstating me, Dean William Trenor emphasized that he had been a strong supporter of the center and wanted me to succeed. I’m grateful for that too—and I really started to have a good relationship with Dean when the Twitter scandal broke out.
Mr Trenor also said that as long as I conduct myself professionally, he will have my back. I’ll hold us both on both ends of that deal. On my part, that means muting and blocking bad-faith Twitter adversaries — some of whom, I’m sorry, are in academia — and resisting the Internet’s urge to fix all that’s wrong. Not that bad tweets are taking offense, but it would be good practice for all of us to stop the doom-scrolling late at night and launch crappy reposts from our governing sections for every latest craziness.
On Georgetown’s part, this means encouraging strong debate and a commitment to intellectual diversity like no other. Across the country, campus cultures are becoming increasingly hostile, with students lashing out at each other (and professors) for ideological violations and self-censoring to avoid potential trouble. We have to reverse that trend.
It’s ironic that what got me declared racist and misogynistic by the conservative mob was a tweet expressing opposition to hiring people on the basis of caste and gender. Regardless, everyone is invited to my Georgetown events. it’s a new day.
Mr. Shapiro is executive director of the Georgetown Law Center for the Constitution and the author of “Supreme Disorder: Judicial Nominations and the Politics of America’s Highest Court”.
Wonder Land: Despite repeated cries for “our democracy,” a political reform for November won’t repair the damage done to American images: Getty Images / MG21 / The Met Museum / Vogue Composite: Mark Kelly
opinion | My cancel-culture nightmare is over
My long public nightmare is over. Tomorrow I assume my duties as a Senior Lecturer at the Georgetown University Law Center and as Executive Director of the Center for the Constitution. A four-month investigation by the Department of Human Resources and the Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity and Affirmative Action determined that I was not yet an employee when I posted a tweet that was objected to by some at the school (which The journal was covered from the beginning) and was therefore not subject to the relevant policies on anti-discrimination and professional conduct.
It was an experience I probably wouldn’t want anyone else to have except maybe its instigators.
Twitter
The crowd that started this storm—especially the first few days, were really terrible for me and my family. Although my administrative leave was paid off, the uncertainty made it a roller coaster of emotions and instability, a personal and professional cleanse. I am grateful to the many colleagues who supported my cause. I found out who my friends were, even if I didn’t need to know what I would have been like.
What I achieved was a technical victory, but one that still shows the value of standing up for free speech in the event of its cancellation. That’s even when that speech sucks, as I readily admitted was my critique of President Biden’s decision to limit his Supreme Court pool by race and gender. Although I apologized for my poor phrasing—some advised “never apologise,” but I take pride in clear communication—I stand by my view that Biden should be considered “all potential nominees.” Should have done, because 76% of Americans agreed in ABC. news poll, and that the best option would have been Judge Srinivasan, an Indian-American immigrant.
I am relieved that now I will get to do the job for which I was hired in January. I am sure that even without the technicalities of the jurisdiction, I would have been victorious. Ultimately, Georgetown’s Speech and Expression Policy provides that “the university is committed to free and open investigation, deliberation and debate in all matters, and the uncontrolled verbal and nonverbal expression of ideas.” There’s an exception to harassment, of course, but I probably wasn’t harassing anyone except Mr. Biden.
In any case, I look forward to teaching and engaging in many activities related to constitutional education and originality. With the Constitution as its core, all students and participants in my programs can be expected to be given the right to think and speak freely and be treated equally. Variety of ideas would be welcome.
In reinstating me, Dean William Trenor emphasized that he had been a strong supporter of the center and wanted me to succeed. I’m grateful for that too—and I really started to have a good relationship with Dean when the Twitter scandal broke out.
Mr Trenor also said that as long as I conduct myself professionally, he will have my back. I’ll hold us both on both ends of that deal. On my part, that means muting and blocking bad-faith Twitter adversaries — some of whom, I’m sorry, are in academia — and resisting the Internet’s urge to fix all that’s wrong. Not that bad tweets are taking offense, but it would be good practice for all of us to stop the doom-scrolling late at night and launch crappy reposts from our governing sections for every latest craziness.
On Georgetown’s part, this means encouraging strong debate and a commitment to intellectual diversity like no other. Across the country, campus cultures are becoming increasingly hostile, with students lashing out at each other (and professors) for ideological violations and self-censoring to avoid potential trouble. We have to reverse that trend.
It’s ironic that what got me declared racist and misogynistic by the conservative mob was a tweet expressing opposition to hiring people on the basis of caste and gender. Regardless, everyone is invited to my Georgetown events. it’s a new day.
Mr. Shapiro is executive director of the Georgetown Law Center for the Constitution and the author of “Supreme Disorder: Judicial Nominations and the Politics of America’s Highest Court”.
Wonder Land: Despite repeated cries for “our democracy,” a political reform for November won’t repair the damage done to American images: Getty Images / MG21 / The Met Museum / Vogue Composite: Mark Kelly
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