Harvard surrenders to the #MeToo mob: black dean to leave prestigious post

Something extraordinary happened at Harvard yesterday: a black professor who had done nothing wrong was removed from a prestigious position that carries the title of “dean.” In the process, the implicit pecking order among grievance-mongering identity groups was clarified, even though fig leaves were employed to provide deniability to the administrators who delivered the blow.

First, the basic facts, via a New York Times article (non-paywall version) by Kate Taylor:

Harvard said on Saturday that a law professor who is representing Harvey Weinstein would not continue as faculty dean of an undergraduate house after his term ends on June 30, bowing to months of pressure from students.

The professor, Ronald S. Sullivan Jr., and his wife, Stephanie Robinson, who is a lecturer at the law school, have been the faculty deans of Winthrop House, one of Harvard’s residential houses for undergraduate students, since 2009. They were the first African-American faculty deans in Harvard’s history.

But when Mr. Sullivan joined the defense team of Mr. Weinstein, the Hollywood producer, in January, many students expressed dismay, saying that his decision to represent a person accused of abusing women disqualified Mr. Sullivan from serving in a role of support and mentorship to students. Mr. Weinstein is scheduled to go to trial in June in Manhattan on rape and related charges.

Winthrop House (Photo credit: Nick Allen)

At the most visible and obvious level, this is an outrage. A fundamental principle of law is that everyone – even those hated by howling mobs – deserves a capable defense. An attorney is not culpable for the alleged crimes of the defendant being represented.

"many students expressed dismay, saying that his decision to represent a person accused of abusing women disqualified Mr. Sullivan from serving in a role of support and mentorship to students"

What if the accused is found innocent? He hasn't been tried yet.

Perhaps the dismayed students were dozing--or out PROTESTING--when presumption of innocence was discussed in class.

This is wrong on so many levels.

First, who is allowing the students to run the show? The students are the lowest scum in the academy pecking order and should have no say whatsoever.

Also, are these supposed to be law students? Don't they realize everybody has a right to representation, including Weinstein? In the career of a lawyer, there will be cases where the lawyer doesn't particularly care for a client, but represents him anyway to the best of his ability. Because that is what professionals do.

As another example, if Weinstein were to show up in the ER with a heart attack, are the doctors allowed to decline services because they don't like Weinstein's history? Of course not.

These "students" are exhibiting a profound lack of maturity for having reached the halls of Harvard. They are like junior high students, full of simple minded "virtue".

WOW!

If Harvard Law School NOW believes that “lynch mob justice” has superseded the “Rule of Law”, then why does anyone need Harvard Law School?

Obviously, buying a megaphone and a black costume is MUCH less expensive than paying for three years wasted “studying” historic written laws that have been superseded.

So the question is: “When will Harvard Law School disband, and spread the endowment that it no longer needs to the “students” it has cheated?

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