Stanford diversity dean who berated federal judge resigns
Posted for: Layla Godey
The dean of diversity, equity, and inclusion at Stanford Law School has resigned her position, four months after she shouted down a federal judge who was giving a lecture, the law school announced Thursday.
In an email to the entire Stanford Law School community, Dean Jenny Martinez said Tirien Steinbach, the dean of diversity, equity, and inclusion, had elected to resign her position and would not be returning to work. Steinbach had been on administrative leave since she drew national attention for berating U.S. Fifth Circuit Court Judge Kyle Duncan at an event in March.
“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,” Martinez said in her email message. “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. There are opportunities for growth and learning all around.”
Martinez thanked Steinbach for serving in the role of diversity dean for two years and expanding the scope of the role to include outreach to conservative and religious groups.
“The Law School wishes to express appreciation for Associate Dean Steinbach’s many contributions to the Law School during her time here,” Martinez said. “In the nearly two years she served in the role, she did valuable work enhancing the sense of community and belonging at the Law School and supporting students, staff, faculty, and alums. Her office broadened outreach to include older students, veterans, religious groups, conservative groups, as well as students of color, LGBTQ+ students, low-income and first-generation college and professional school students, and others.”
Conservative groups had been clamoring for Steinbach’s ouster for months, ever since the viral incident with Judge Duncan. Cherise Trump, the executive director of Speech First, a campus free speech organization, told the Washington Examiner that she was glad to see Steinbach’s employment at Stanford come to an end.
“I am very happy to see that there is finally some accountability for the actions we saw from administrators like Dean Steinbach, who openly undermine the core purpose of the university, which is to promote deliberation and liberal education,” said Trump, who is not related to the former president. “At Speech First, we launched an aggressive petition and ad campaign exposing Dean Steinbach’s efforts to encourage students to shout down Judge Kyle Duncan in an attempt to silence his ideas and the ideas of the students who invited him.”
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