Author: jonathanturley

Academia, Free Speech, Politics

“Stop Penntrification!”: Penn Students and House Activists Stop Convocation for New Students
We recently discussed students at Marquette University blocking the convocation for students at the start of the new school year. Now students have shut down the University of Pennsylvania’s freshmen convocation with President Liz Magill. The students were demanding that the school  help in an eviction case near campus. According to Inside Higher Education, Daily Pennsylvanian, and College Fix, there is an eviction of a nearby affordable housing complex that led students and outside protesters to stop the convocation.  Some 70 units are scheduled to be sold. Continue reading ““Stop Penntrification!”: Penn Students and House Activists Stop Convocation for New Students” →
Academia

Study: Only Nine Percent of Law Professors Identify as Conservatives

A new study offers further evidence of the alarming decline of ideological diversity on our law faculties. A study by Georgetown University’s Kevin Tobia and MIT’s Eric Martinez was featured on College Fix that finds that only nine percent of law school professors identify as conservative at the top 50 law schools. Notably, a 2017 study found 15 percent of faculties were conservative. This is the result of years of faculty replicating their own ideological preferences and eradicating the diversity that once existed on faculties. When I began teaching in the 1980s, faculties were undeniably liberal but contained a significant number of conservative and libertarian professors. It made for a healthy and balanced intellectual environment. Today such voices are relatively rare and faculties have become political echo chambers, leaving conservatives and Republican students increasingly afraid to speak openly in class.

Continue reading “Study: Only Nine Percent of Law Professors Identify as Conservatives” →

Constitutional Law, Courts, Criminal law, Justice, Politics

Justice Department Opposes Any Special Master and Alleges That “Obstructive Conduct Occurred” at Mar-a-Lago

Last night, Department of Justice filed in opposition to the appointment of a Special Master in Florida. It used the filing to add new facts and allegations to the public record, including the statement that “obstructive conduct occurred” at Mar-a-Lago by concealing or moving documents. The Department makes many of the same claims that it used to opposed the release of a redacted affidavit, claims shown to have been misleading and exaggerated after the magistrate ordered the release.  Notably, this filing contained details that were likely redacted in the affidavit but just released on the public record. Continue reading “Justice Department Opposes Any Special Master and Alleges That “Obstructive Conduct Occurred” at Mar-a-Lago” →

Academia, Torts

Oberlin’s Revenge Mania: College Finally Runs Out of Appeals in Campaign Against Family-Owned Bakery

The long and vengeful campaign of Oberlin College against a small family-owned grocery has come to an end at the cost of a breathtaking $36 million for defamation. The Ohio Supreme Court had rejected what should be Oberlin College’s final appeal of a verdict in favor of Gibson’s Bakery. The bakery has been the target of an unrelenting attack by the school after it had the temerity to fight a false charge of racism in a shoplifting case involving Oberlin students who later pleaded guilty to criminal charges. Oberlin President Carmen Twillie Ambar and the Board burned through millions in litigation costs above the damages rather than admit that the college was wrong in the targeting of this grocery. That money could have been used for scholarships and other worthy purposes. Instead, Amber and the Board will simply ask alumni to foot the bill for a legal effort that seems to become little more than a revenge fetish. Continue reading “Oberlin’s Revenge Mania: College Finally Runs Out of Appeals in Campaign Against Family-Owned Bakery” →

Columns, Media, Politics

Disinformation Dependables: Bash Joins A Line of Biden Officials Who Pushed False “Russian Disinformation” Claims

The appointment of MSNBC analyst Jeremy Bash to the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board triggered an outcry in Washington given Bash’s role in denying the legitimacy of the Hunter Biden laptop as “Russian disinformation.” Bash was not only one of more than 50 former intelligence officials who signed a letter dismissing the Hunter Biden laptop story before the 2020 presidential election, but he took to cable news to assure the public that there is nothing to it. Bash is not alone in the Administration as high-ranking officials who pushed such false claims to help get President Biden elected.

Continue reading “Disinformation Dependables: Bash Joins A Line of Biden Officials Who Pushed False “Russian Disinformation” Claims” →

Academia, Free Speech

University of North Carolina Study Finds Conservative Students Engage in Self-Censorship on Campus

With the start of classes at George Washington Law School, I have already had visits to my office of conservative and libertarian students asking if I thought they could speak freely in other classes without being penalized by professors. Despite teaching for decades, it is a question that I never heard from students until the last few years. It is now routine. It is the widespread fear of conservative students who have faced faculties with overwhelmingly liberal viewpoints and growing intolerance on virtually every campus as undergraduate students. Now a new study at North Carolina confirms how conservative students routinely “self-censor” and do not feel comfortable sharing their views in classes. Not surprisingly given the heavy liberal makeup of faculties, liberal students feel little such fear over retaliation. Continue reading “University of North Carolina Study Finds Conservative Students Engage in Self-Censorship on Campus” →

Columns, Criminal law, Media, Politics

Rorschach Redactions: What Did Not Happen with the Release of the Mar-a-Lago Affidavit

Below is my column in the Hill on the release of the affidavit leading to the raid on Mar-a-Lago. The redacted affidavit did confirm key points, but the most interesting elements could be what did not happen. That may change now that a federal judge has finally indicated that a special master may be appointed. Since the start of the controversy over the Mar-a-Lago raid, I have called for the release of a redacted affidavit and the appointment of a special master to sort through the seized material, including alleged attorney-client privileged material. (Indeed, the Justice Department just admitted that it may have collected attorney-client privileged material). Such an appointment could result in additional material being returned to the Trump team and a release of additional information on what was seized under this exceptionally broad warrant.

Here is the column:

Continue reading “Rorschach Redactions: What Did Not Happen with the Release of the Mar-a-Lago Affidavit” →

Academia, Congress

Wharton Study: Biden Tuition Debt Forgiveness Could Cost $1 Trillion

The alleged cost of $300 billion for the Biden tuition debt forgiveness plan was challenged by the White House as too high. Then the figure went up to $500 billion. Now the respected University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business estimates that it will cost up to $1 trillion. Putting the merits of such debt forgiveness aside, the unilateral plan to waive up to a trillion dollars without congressional approval is a dangerous and unconstitutional violation of our system of the separation of powers. Those Democrats applauding this plan in Congress are celebrating their own institutional obsolescence. Continue reading “Wharton Study: Biden Tuition Debt Forgiveness Could Cost $1 Trillion” →

Academia, Free Speech, Politics

Marquette University Students Shut Down Convocation in Protest of Racial “Oppressions and Hardships”
Recently, Marquette University faced criticism over the removal of the image of Father Jacques Marquette and a Native American from its seal after protests. Now the University is facing another controversy after black student activists shutdown its convocation to protest the “oppressions and hardships” faced at the university. This includes the alleged elimination of  the Office of Engagement and Inclusion, which officials have denied as simply false. Continue reading “Marquette University Students Shut Down Convocation in Protest of Racial “Oppressions and Hardships”” →
Courts, Criminal law, Politics

Federal Judge Indicates Intent to Appoint Special Master to Review Seized Documents in Mar-a-Lago Raid

Since the start of the controversy over the Mar-a-Lago raid, I have called for the release of a redacted affidavit and the appointment of a special master to sort through the seized material, including alleged attorney-client privileged material. Indeed, I felt that this was one of the four failures of Attorney General Merrick Garland in not taking proactive steps to assure that public that this was not a pretextual raid to collect sensitive material for other investigative purposes. Now, District Judge Aileen Cannon has indicated an intent to make such an appointment. It was a belated request from the Trump team but, as I wrote yesterday, it would still have considerable value in the case.

Continue reading “Federal Judge Indicates Intent to Appoint Special Master to Review Seized Documents in Mar-a-Lago Raid” →

Academia, Bizarre, Criminal law, Society

Denver Public Schools Show Video Telling Kids to Avoid Police “as Perpetrators of Violence”

Some advice given to students was to not report attacks to the police.

There is a controversy in the Denver Public School system as students were shown a video telling them not to call police if they see a violently racist or homophobic incident because police are perpetrators of such violence. What is particularly shocking, however, was the response of the school district to the showing of this insulting and dangerous film. The district said that nobody at Denver South High School actually watched the video before showing it to the students under their charge. Continue reading “Denver Public Schools Show Video Telling Kids to Avoid Police “as Perpetrators of Violence”” →

Academia, Bizarre, Politics, Society

Poll: Over Sixty Percent of Democratic Students Oppose Sharing Dorm Rooms With Republicans

It is a sign of our times. It used to be that the key criterion for college roommates was whether you are a “partier v. non-partier.” Now, it is just your party.

A new NBC and Generation Lab study of the class of 2025 showed that roughly half of college students refuse to live with someone who voted for a member of a different political party. That percentage is notably much higher with Democrats rather than Republicans.

Continue reading “Poll: Over Sixty Percent of Democratic Students Oppose Sharing Dorm Rooms With Republicans” →

Free Speech, Justice, Media, Politics

Zuckerberg Reveals the FBI Told His Company to be Wary of “Russian Disinformation”

Recently, I wrote about the disclosure of an alleged backchannel between the CDC and Twitter on censoring critics of the agency and its recommendations. Now, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg discussed how the FBI warned Facebook about “Russian propaganda” before the Hunter Biden laptop story dropped in 2020. This follows reports that the FBI told agents not to pursue the laptop and to slow walk any investigation into Hunter Biden’s alleged influence peddling schemes.

Continue reading “Zuckerberg Reveals the FBI Told His Company to be Wary of “Russian Disinformation”” →

Academia, Free Speech

Cornell Declaration States School Perpetuates “Colonialism, Indigenous Dispossession, Slavery, Racism, Classism, Sexism, Transphobia, Homophobia, Antisemitism, and Ableism.”

We have been following conflicts over official statements or acknowledgements on diversity, colonialism, or privilege at universities. These conflicts often involve concerns over free speech or academic freedom. The most recent controversy has arisen at Cornell University and involves a challenge to an official declaration that the university perpetuates “settler colonialism, indigenous dispossession, slavery, racism, classism, sexism, transphobia, homophobia, antisemitism, and ableism.” The statement was posted on its School of Integrative Plant Science’s website and, according to the site College Fix, one academic has objected: Randy Wayne, associate professor in the School of Integrative Plant Science in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Continue reading “Cornell Declaration States School Perpetuates “Colonialism, Indigenous Dispossession, Slavery, Racism, Classism, Sexism, Transphobia, Homophobia, Antisemitism, and Ableism.”” →

Columns, Criminal law, Justice, Politics

Garland’s Leaky Ship: the Justice Continues an All-Too-Familiar Pattern of Demanding Secrecy While Leaking Information

Below is my column in the New York Post on the opposition of the Justice Department to release of even a redaction affidavit in the ongoing controversy over the raid at Mar-a-Lago. As this litigation unfolds (including a key filing today), the Justice Department has been reportedly leaking some of the very same information to the press. In addition, National Archives and Records Administration released a letter contradicting claims of the Trump team, including refuting claims of cooperation or transparency by the former president. There has never been a more important time for Attorney General Merrick Garland to show leadership in plugging his leaky ship while ordering the release of a redacted affidavit. As discussed below, the release of substantive portions of an affidavit can ordinarily be made without compromising confidential informants or undermining the investigation. It could well support criminal allegations or contradict the former president as being claimed by unnamed sources. However, he has waived objections to the release and there is a clear public interest in greater transparency.

Here is the column: Continue reading “Garland’s Leaky Ship: the Justice Continues an All-Too-Familiar Pattern of Demanding Secrecy While Leaking Information” →