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George Washington University has rejected calls from some of its students to fire Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas from his teaching position or to cancel any of his classes in the wake of the court’s recent abortion ruling.
Students created an online petition over the weekend in response to the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, citing the justice’s concurring opinion that said the court should reexamine its past rulings on contraception and same-sex marriage. However, the school responded to the petition and noted it would not fire Thomas because his comments do not violate the university’s academic freedom guidelines.
HILLARY CLINTON RIPS CLARENCE THOMAS: ‘HE’S BEEN A PERSON OF GRIEVANCE’
“Because we steadfastly support the robust exchange of ideas and deliberation, and because debate is an essential part of our university’s academic and educational mission to train future leaders who are prepared to address the world’s most urgent problems, the university will neither terminate Justices Thomas’ employment nor cancel his class in response to his legal opinions,” the school wrote in an email to students.
Students created the petition shortly after the Supreme Court decision was released and led to protests around the nation — including demonstrations at the houses of the justices who voted in support of overturning Roe. Thomas was one of five justices who voted to end the nationwide right to an abortion.
“For many of us in teaching at various schools, these cancel campaigns have become a constant, looming threat,” Jonathan Turley, a legal scholar at GWU, told the Washington Examiner. “The GW petition reflects a growing intolerance and orthodoxy that is sweeping across universities. It is gratifying to see GW standing firm on free speech and academic freedom. Yet the rising intolerance on America’s campuses will not be halted until faculty and students affirmatively fight for greater diversity of viewpoints and values.”
The petition also cited Thomas’s wife, Virginia “Ginni” Thomas, as a reason to be terminated for her “part in the attempted coup in January of 2021,” likely referring to her correspondence supporting efforts to challenge the results of the 2020 election.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Emails revealed as part of the Jan. 6 committee’s investigation show Ginni Thomas had pressed at least 29 lawmakers in Arizona to overturn the results of the 2020 election in favor of former President Donald Trump. After the panel announced plans to invite her to testify, the conservative activist said in a statement to the Daily Caller that she “can’t wait to clear up misconceptions,” adding, “I look forward to talking to them.”
More than 6,200 people have signed the petition since it was posted on Sunday, and organizers have urged students to send emails to the dean of the university to demand that Thomas be fired.
