Penn State has been under scrutiny over its internal ‘Strategic Plan Update’ which contains sweeping anti-racism agendas, including a commitment to “recruit, retain, teach and research according to antiracist principles’ and adopt an ‘antiracist critical pedagogy.” The plan to expand employment opportunities for underrepresented candidates has prompted objections over its possible unconstitutionality in light of Supreme Court precedent. However, a tape is now circulating that raises concerns about the use of its mandatory REPL course, which stands for “Race and the Equal Protection of the Laws.”
The REPL course is described in Penn State publications:
“REPL, a required course for all first-year Penn State Dickinson Law students, invokes critical theory and critical pedagogy, aiming to transform how students see their place and role in an imperfect and still-evolving democracy. The class began in fall 2020, months after the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis prompted the Penn State Dickinson Law faculty to pass two unanimous resolutions. The first condemned violence against people of color. The second adopted an antiracist approach to legal education, leading to the creation of REPL.”
Penn State Dickinson Law Dean and Donald J. Farage Professor of Law Danielle M. Conway has stated:
“Through REPL, many law students are being exposed for the first time to the structure that supports the nation’s constitutional democracy. REPL allows us to teach that through the lens of enslavement and racism, systemic challenges that have existed since the beginning of our society. We use critical pedagogy to analyze how a governing system founded on a pledge of democratic ideals produces systemic inequity when legal, social, economic, and civil obstacles limit liberty for those othered in society.”
Aaron Sibarium of the Free Beacon posted the secret audio tape from one of the classes. I have repeatedly reached out to Penn State for a response or a statement on the authenticity of the tape. The school has not replied.
The tape purportedly captures the words of Associate Dean Jeffrey Dodge and Professor Emily Spottswood. Also featured is Shaakirrah Sanders, who was described as “the first associate Dean of anti-racism and critical pedagogy in the country.”
Dean Dodge is allegedly shown saying that “We are taking action to disrupt and dismantle systems that racialize, subordinate, and oppress. We … want to acknowledge the reality of systemic racism … as a foundation for this course.”
Professor Spottswood explains to the students that this is “not elective, not optional because this is not a way to be a good lawyer.” She explains that, to be a lawyer, you must combat racism as laid out in REPL.
They also hear from Georgetown University Law Professor Paul Butler, who tells them that the existential threat remains “white supremacy … and patriarchy” and the need to “eradicate” them.
Critics have objected that the lectures sound more like indoctrination than education. Rather than allowing students to elect to take such a course, the law school requires them to complete the course as a condition for graduation.
It is common (and commendable) for incoming law students to be addressed about our profession’s commitment to fighting discrimination in all forms. I have given such speeches to incoming students. Many of us also incorporate material that explores discrimination in legal doctrine and practice.
What is different is that this is a mandatory course that tells students that they must accept certain antiracism precepts to be lawyers. This course appears similar to many offered as electives at other law schools. However, at Penn State it is mandatory.
While hopefully everyone opposes discrimination and oppression, many students (and lawyers) may not agree with the sweeping statements about the dominance or hold of white supremacy or patriarchy in our legal system.
This does not mean that combating prejudice should not be a priority or emphasized in law school. Rather, the REPL course has been criticized as an example of the activist and orthodox culture in higher education.
Here is the article with the audiotape.
I am glad that my children did not take on a 4 year college program, 20 years ago. They learned more about reality and dealing with individuals by working in the different fields they chose. They, like me, took classes that would help without an intended degree. All are doing fine professionally. They did not have the indoctrination, they did not have the big words to impress, they did not have deal with people that think they are better than you. They know how to deal with individuals on an even basis and know when one is full of BS and to walk away. I give my Kudos to those that take the alternate path and succeed.
If you want to end the practice of racism, stop building entire courses around racism and start teaching the law. Teach equal rights and the equal application of the law to every person, and it really does not need to get more complicated than that. That is the only “lens” a law school should be using, not an ideological lens that replaces one set of categories and grievances with another.
Everyone needs to be aware that the George Floyd incident in Minneapolis was a fraud! If you look at the various recordings of the incident, you plainly see that Ofc. Chauvin does NOT have his knee on Floyd’s neck! Some officers are even doing that hold on people to prove to them that it could not have harmed Floyd. Autopsy results prove that Floyd had multiple serious health issues & he died of heart failure. The officers had called paramedics for Floyd when they arrested him, but the crowd that had formed caused a delay in the medics getting to him. There’s also solid evidence that “official” autopsy results were faked. The entire thing was staged because local DFlers WANTED that riot for their own political purposes!
Withe hypocrisy as described above, Penn State, the ‘Sanctuary City for Pa*dophiles’ permanently establishes the policy of total disregard of child sexual abuse and pedophilia.
Activities as hideous and vile were committed at Penn State for 20+ years and nothing was ever done…
Penn State has operated the ugliest, most wretched scheme ever devised- football gods (now we now as devils) operating a 501(c)(3) for the sole purpose of grooming innocent boys for brutal raping by wealthy donors and high ranking university officials.
So when caught, what did Penn State do? Hire Louis Freeh, pay pocket change as a fine, and continue their hideous activities!
Penn State paid their pervert president Rambo Spanier $3 million in exchange for his silence as to the names of the wealthy donors who paid for their hideous and sickening activities through Pe*dophile State. Ped State continues to traffick in sex crimes, yet no one cares and no federal investigation occurs.
Nothing happened in ‘Hapless Valley’ without the knowledge and approval of JoePed. JoePed’s home phone number was listed in the White Pages and through Directory Assistance. Why? When the Deputy Sheriff in Backwater County, Ohio discovered Penn State’s first string running back on top of a fourteen year old in the back seat of a Chevy Impala, calling Joe and forgetting the incident resulted in a pair of good seats to the Notre Dame or Ohio State game, or a Penn State scholarship to the Deputy’s child.
Penn State’s ‘sanction’ was nothing more than a whitewash. Pedophile State paid Graham Spanier $3 million for his silence regarding the wealthy donors who received young boys groomed by Sandusky, Paterno, AD Curley, President Spanier, and Senior VP Schulze. Federal prosecutors should have investigated the pit of perverts, not Louis Freeh. Pedophile State was let off easy, and the world knows it.
Jerry Sandusky founded the ‘Second Mile’ charity in the late 1980’s for the sole purpose of finding and grooming innocent boys for Penn State high ranking administrators and wealthy donors. Pedophile State’s Board of Trustees knew, approved, and funded the hideous activities.
JoePa is forever JoePed.
JoePerv should be posthumously registered as a sex offender.
But…but…but…do they discuss in that course the sustaining “contributions” of SPLC to ultra-right groups?
Noone
1. Create DEI dean.
2. Wash hands of all DEI policy, give dean carte blanche to do and say whatever he/she wants.
This seems to be what happens whenever a position is created like DEI VP in a corporation or DEI dean or school superintendent. It gives the president or CEO cover and empowers someone whose entire purpose is not the health of the school or company but the imposition of a controlling and destructive ethic.
‘antiracist critical pedagogy.”
The thoroughly collectivist Left would have us believe that to sanitize and peddle bank robbery, just dub it “anti-bank robbery.”
Another example of a “captive” audience and they have to pay for it too.
“The first condemned violence against people of color.”
Shouldn’t they condemn violence against anyone and everyone?
Who is enslaved today in America?
So what “systems that racialize, subordinate, and oppress.” are they dismantling?
But…but…but… what of those illegal migrants arriving to such a systemically oppressive and racist country? Do they know what awaits them? ***sarcasm off***
Noone
The current definition of racism in academia and virtually all institutions is very narrow in which groups are seen as oppressed and which are deemed oppressors. It also takes into account political orientation in practice. For certain groups, discrimination is permitted and encouraged. What they refer to pedagogy is not a search for truth, but really ideological indoctrination in disguise.
The current definition of racism in the DOJ is that the only people being discriminated against are white people and the Civil Rights Division is solely focused on fighting reverse racism. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court and State Legislatures are eliminating Black Democrats from Congress in hopes they can match the House Republicans that will have zero Black members after the midterms.
DEI was never anything more than an attempt to level the playing field which is why racists want it eliminated.
An anti-racism course is needed because America is full of racists i.e., MAGA.
lol
I am choosing to read this as sarcasm. Otherwise it may be the dumbest thing on the internet today.
I will therefore choose to read as sarcasm and view it as clever.
The SPLC financially supports racism.
As soon as we quit talking about slavery the sooner blacks will normalize. They don’t need that ball and chain anymore.
“As soon as we quit talking about slavery the sooner blacks will normalize. They don’t need that ball and chain anymore.”
I’m going to use this in a story I’m working on. The working title is:
“When Did Enslavement End? 1865?-See Black Codes, 1877?-See Jim Crow, 1965? See Supreme Court, Mass-Incarceration-See Never”
Anti-racism is racist.