“There is a Passion natural to the Mind of man, especially a free Man, which renders him impatient of Restraint.” — George Mason
“If I were king, I would not allow people to go around burning the American flag. However, we have a First Amendment which says that the right of free speech shall not be abridged — and it is addressed in particular to speech critical of the government. That was the main kind of speech that tyrants would seek to suppress.” — Justice Antonin Scalia
* * *
We are both third-year law students at the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University and we recently experienced speech suppression by university officials that completely goes against the spirit of the two figures our school represents. We objected to the idea of men in women’s restrooms — and vice versa. Fortunately, after we filed a <a href="https://adflegal.org/case/cerankosky-v-washington/?utm_source=dailywire&amp;utm_medium=oped" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lawsuit</a> with the help of Alliance Defending Freedom, our school quickly reversed course and has revised the policy used against us.
We are both part of a “Scalia Law ‘25” GroupMe discussion board for students in our graduating class, and late last September, a fellow third-year law student notified the group that he had been chosen as the official law school student representative for the Graduate and Professional Studies Assembly (GAPSA). He noted that GAPSA reports to the GMU administration, promised to do his best to advocate for all law students, and informed us that he had already shared some “concerns.”
One of the “concerns” he shared with GAPSA was a proposal to add feminine hygiene products to all restrooms “regardless of gender marker.” This, of course, implies a belief that one’s sense of “gender identity” is subjective, meaning that men could access women’s restrooms. We were immediately concerned for our personal safety and found that this proposal conflicted with our religious beliefs. The proposal put forward by the other student had the opposite effect of his promise to alleviate our concerns and advocate for us.
At the end of his post, the student asked if there was anything we would like to address. We voiced our opinions, highlighting our privacy and safety concerns with his proposal. Other students agreed by “liking” our posts. We also pointed out that conservative students have just as much of a right to be represented as everyone else. Despite soliciting our concerns and promising to represent all students to GAPSA, this student responded by mocking our opinions, condescending that it wasn’t any of our “business what gender someone identifies with.” While he mocked our beliefs, we respectfully responded that, as women, it is absolutely our business if men have access to our restrooms.
Two weeks later, the university’s Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion slapped us with no-contact orders prohibiting us from having any communication with the student.
We weren’t notified that the student had complained to the DEI Office, nor were we warned that we could potentially receive no-contact orders. Under GMU’s <a href="https://adfmedialegalfiles.blob.core.windows.net/files/CerankoskyExhibits1to12.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Title IX policy</a> at that time, the orders applied both on- and off-campus and remained in place until the DEI Office — in its sole discretion — rescinded them.
When we expressed our concerns with school officials, they tried to <a href="https://adfmedialegalfiles.blob.core.windows.net/files/CerankoskyExhibits1to12.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shrug</a> it off by saying the orders were not “disciplinary” and were reciprocal, meaning the other student has no-contact orders with us. When we raised the issue that these orders suppressed our free speech, the school told us we’re allowed to have our opinions; the no-contact orders are a result of the “effect” of our speech.
They tried to convince us that there’s a difference — but if we must tiptoe around sharing our opinions because others may disagree, that chills our speech and violates our constitutional rights. With those orders, we faced expulsion from the school if the student alleged a violation of the orders. There are even state bar exams that ask if we have faced any sort of disciplinary action while at school.
As such, we decided to file a lawsuit against the school, and GMU did the right thing and settled the case with us. Officials lifted the no-contact orders, ensured that these kinds of orders would not be used to suppress speech — now giving our school one of the best policies in the country. We also received financial compensation.
Universities and law schools should be vibrant centers in the marketplace of ideas. GMU is right to change its policy to uphold the vision of its namesake that respects the rights of all students.
* * *
Selene Cerankosky and Maria Arcara are third-year law students at the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Statue of George Mason on campus of George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia

We Took A Stand For Biological Truth At Our University — And Won

Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF)

American Universities

Bathrooms

Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

Gender

Gender Identity

gender ideology

George Mason University

Opinion

Title IX

Transgender

Virginia

Virginia Senate Democrats are attempting to block the nomination of a prominent advocate against anti-Semitism from joining George Mason University’s Board of Visitors, weeks after a George Mason student was arrested for helping plot a terror attack on Israel’s consulate in New York.
Kenneth Marcus, described by The New York Times as “The Man Who Helped Redefine Campus Anti-Semitism,” was appointed by Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin in June. However, the Virginia Senate Democrats voted this week to reject his appointment in the Privileges and Elections Committee.
Marcus is the founder and leader of the Brandeis Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting civil and human rights for Jewish people. He previously served as the Assistant U.S. Secretary of Education for Civil Rights in the first Trump administration and was a Distinguished Senior Fellow at George Mason’s Antonin Scalia Law School.
Marcus, who has been serving in the position since his nomination last summer — Virginia law allows nominees to serve prior to confirmation — was blindsided by the amendment that struck his name from the resolution of appointments.
“I was surprised and dismayed to learn of yesterday’s action and I am hopeful that the general assembly leadership in both chambers will reconsider,” Marcus said. “I have been at work trying to strengthen George Mason University for months now.”
Virginia’s legislature still has opportunities to add Marcus’s nomination back into the resolution, though sources say it could be an uphill battle.
During the brief debate, Sen. Aaron Rouse (D) noted that out of respect, appointees could not be referred to by name in the discussion. In response, Sen. Bill DeSteph (R) followed the guidelines of not using names, but questioned why certain nominees were being removed, stating, &#8220;I think members of the committee should know why certain nominees are stricken. Otherwise, if we infer the reason, it could go in the wrong direction.&#8221;
Sen. Adam Ebbin (D), who championed the amendment, responded, “I think that we found the nominees to be inconsistent with the expectations, goals and values we have for the work of those boards.”
A spokesman for Sen. Tara Durant (R) told The Daily Wire that Durant and every Republican voted against the amendment that removed Marcus’s appointment and others.
“There was no transparency in why the individuals were removed after inquiring to the Chair and the Senator that made the motion,” the spokesman said.
Durant later voted with 14 out of 15 members to approve the rest of Youngkin’s nominations.
Marcus emphasized his efforts in helping George Mason University take &#8220;significant actions,&#8221; including helping with the implementation of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism into the university&#8217;s anti-discrimination policy.
Marcus noted that GMU’s adoption of the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism was helpful in Harvard’s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/harvard-settles-two-anti-semitism-lawsuits-after-trump-sworn-in" target="_blank" rel="noopener">settlement agreement</a> this week in two lawsuits alleging the school of mishandling anti-Semitism on campus, which resulted in Harvard also adopting the definition.
“It’s not every day that Harvard University follows George Mason’s lead, so I was very pleased that that happened this week,” Marcus said.
“George Mason has not been immune to the anti-Semitic developments happening in higher education and there have been highly publicized incidents recently which has been a concern of mine and my colleagues,” Marcus told The Daily Wire.
Last month, George Mason freshman and Egyptian national Abdullah Ezzeldin Taha Mohamed Hassan <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/alleged-isis-supporter-from-egypt-arrested-for-plotting-terror-attack-in-nyc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was arrested</a> for planning a terrorist attack on Israel’s consulate in New York. The student who operated pro-ISIS social media accounts glorifying violence against Jews faces 20 years if convicted of trying to teach someone how to create an explosive with intent to murder internationally protected persons.
“I have been deeply honored by Governor Youngkin’s nomination and have been proud to help GMU and its students,” Marcus added. “I certainly would appreciate any support that would be provided.”
Committee members Rouse, DeSteph, Ebbin, Sen. Craig Deeds (D), Sen. Travis Hackworth (R), Sen. Glen Sturtevant (R), Sen. Schuyler VanValkenburg (D), Sen. Jennifer Carroll Foy (D), Sen. Russet Perry (D), Sen. Saddam Azlan Salim (D), Sen. Tammy Milchi (R), Sen. Kannan Srinivasan (D), and Sen. Luther Henry Cifers (R) did not respond to a request for comment.

SLUG: AX/COVER15. DATE: November, 7, 2007 CREDIT: Katherine

Dems Block Jewish Leader From George Mason Board After Student Arrested For Anti-Israel Terrorism

Anti-Semitism

College

Israel

A George Mason student found in possession of weapons, “Death to Jews” signs, and terrorist flags previously urged the university to condemn Israel for waging “genocide” in Gaza, previously unreleased footage obtained by The Daily Wire shows.
Jena Chanaa, a graduate student who led George Mason’s now-suspended Students for Justice in Palestine chapter at the school last year, slammed the school for its “neutrality” at an April Board of Visitors meeting.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Here is Jena Chanaa — the George Mason student caught with Hamas and Hezbollah flags and &#8220;Death to Jews&#8221; and &#8220;Death to America&#8221; signs — urging the school to place itself on the “correct side of history” by condemning Israeli &#8220;genocide.&#8221;
&#8220;Thank you all and free Palestine&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/HS84Jb7lqF">pic.twitter.com/HS84Jb7lqF</a>
— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire/status/1868763831247520064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“Our students are facing great losses every single day, forced to live through this nightmare and forced to live with the knowledge that their own university is not doing anything to position themselves against the genocide that is actively causing this tragedy,” Chanaa said, in reference to the war in Gaza.
She went on to demand that the school endorse a ceasefire and acknowledge the “genocide.”
“As someone who has personally been involved in this campus-wide movement, it has been extremely disappointing to see the university position itself on the side of neutrality,” Chanaa said. “I implore you to place George Mason on the correct side of history. Do your part to support all students and community members affected by this genocide and call for a ceasefire now.”
Jena and her sister Noor Chanaa — who is the current co-leader of the SJP chapter — are suspected of being part of a group that defaced George Mason’s student center in August, the Washington Free Beacon <a href="https://freebeacon.com/campus/death-to-jews-inside-the-home-of-2-sjp-leaders-at-george-mason-university-police-find-guns-ammo-and-terrorist-flags/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/gift-guide/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://get.dailywire.com/gift-guide/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1734456301192000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3xN16bAZ8K7sSdnyvekGw9">CHECK OUT THE DAILY WIRE HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE</a>
After being granted a warrant to search the Chanaa family home, police discovered Hamas and Hezbollah flags, anti-American and anti-Semitic signs, and firearms and ammunition belonging to the Chanaas’ brother, Mohammad.
Mohammad’s weapons were seized under Virginia’s red flag law, due to him being “linked to destruction of property in connection with a large group of people with like-minded rhetoric&#8221; and being a danger to others due to his possession of &#8220;terroristic&#8221; materials, the Free Beacon reported. Mohammad, who reportedly recently graduated from George Mason, later had his weapons returned by a Fairfax County circuit court judge, <a href="https://freebeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/substantial-risk-order-redacted.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">documents show</a>.
As punishment for their activity, the sisters have been barred from campus for four years, according to <a href="https://theintercept.com/2024/12/03/george-mason-fbi-gaza-palestine-israel/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Intercept</a>.
Under Jana and Noor Chanaa&#8217;s leadership, George Mason’s SJP chapter celebrated Hamas’ October 7 massacre of Israeli civilians just days after the attack, describing it as the &#8220;right to resist for Palestinians living under the Zionist occupation.”
“On October 7th, 2023, Palestinian resistance fighters began mobilizing from Gaza into surrounding occupied areas, reclaiming land and seizing settlements considered illegal and a violation of international laws,” the statement reads.
The October 9 statement went on to criticize Israel for defending itself in the immediate aftermath.
“The [IDF’s] bombing of Gaza in response to the resistance is unceasing and barbaric, carrying out several massacres, leveling homes on residents’ heads, and leaving entire families martyred in a pathetic attempt to restore its broken ‘prestige’ due to historic resistance advances,” it stated.
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin condemned the Chanaas in a statement, saying he has “grave concerns about the role of organizations like Students for Justice in Palestine on our campuses,” <a href="https://jewishinsider.com/2024/12/gov-youngkin-says-students-for-justice-in-palestine-poses-a-clear-and-present-threat-to-jewish-students-and-the-jewish-community-in-virginia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported Jewish Insider</a>.
“These blatant and dangerous antisemitic acts pose a clear and present threat to Jewish students and the Jewish community in Virginia,” Youngkin said.
<a href="https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-demands-va-s-george-mason-university-rescind-suspension-of-anti-genocide-protesters/?emci=5e809896-7cb2-ef11-88d0-000d3a9d5840&amp;emdi=b002660e-82b2-ef11-88d0-000d3a9d5840&amp;ceid=240052" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CAIR denounced</a> the search of the Chanaa home, calling it an intimidation tactic against “those who seek to end the Israeli genocide in Gaza and the Biden administration’s complicity with that genocide.”
“Finally, such a raid for allegedly spray-painting property raises reasonable questions about what is happening,”  CAIR Research and Advocacy Director Corey Saylor said. “Unless George Mason administration has decided anti-genocide viewpoints require treatment outside normal due process, these measures should be rescinded.”
A faculty group released a statement expressing its &#8220;deep concern about the apparent targeting of two George Mason students for their advocacy for Palestinian human rights,” the Free Beacon reported.
The Chanaa family attorney, Abdel-Rahman Hamed, provided a statement to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2024/12/08/george-mason-university-pro-palestinian-activists/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Washington Post</a>, calling the situation &#8220;yet another example of the police state targeting American Muslims without cause.&#8221; A section of Hamed’s <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/abdelrahmanhamed/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LinkedIn page</a> states, &#8220;I deny, defy, and defeat Zionists, antisemites, and White Supremacists,” the Free Beacon found.

Chanaa

WATCH: SJP Leader Caught With ‘Death To Jews’ Signs And Hamas Flags Pushed School To Condemn Israel

Students for Justice in Palestine

Students at George Mason University who said they supported President Joe Biden expressed disappointment over missteps and outright debacles from the administration, namely the collapse in Afghanistan, rising inflation, and the growing immigration crisis at the southern border.
Campus Reform reporter Addison Smith recently took to the campus to ask students who either voted for Biden or supported him about their thoughts on his performance. Here are some of the highlights:
<ul>
<li>Numerous students admitted the Afghanistan withdrawal was botched, even if they supporting leaving Afghanistan. &#8220;It&#8217;s been a bit of a disaster,&#8221; one Biden supporter admitted. Another student expressed disappointment that U.S. taxpayer-funded technology and equipment were left in Afghanistan. &#8220;Basically, 20 years of work was just erased really quickly,&#8221; one young male student said. &#8220;Maybe some steps could have been taken by [Biden] to stop it.&#8221;</li>
<li>Numerous students said Biden is responsible for rising gas prices and inflation. “If you’re looking at the straight facts, it’s apparent that he’s not [building back better],” one student said. &#8220;If he&#8217;s [building back better] the gas prices are still high,&#8221; another student questioned. &#8220;They&#8217;re still high, so I mean&#8230;&#8221;</li>
<li>Four students said they would prefer not to vote for Biden if he were to run in 2024. &#8220;Id&#8217; like to see who else is running,&#8221; one student said. Another said, &#8220;As of right now, no [I would not vote for Biden again].&#8221;</li>
<li>Numerous students identified the crisis at the U.S./Mexico border as a weak spot for the Biden administration, admitting the management could have been &#8220;better.&#8221; &#8220;It could have been handled way better,&#8221; one student said.</li>
<li>Promises kept? Biden has &#8220;failed a lot on his promises,&#8221; a student told Smith. &#8220;On some things, he didn&#8217;t keep his promises on,&#8221; a female student admitted. &#8220;There are a lot of promises he hasn&#8217;t kept, yet,&#8221; echoed another female student.</li>
<li>&#8220;I feel like those are his two main weaknesses: Afghanistan and the border,&#8221; a young man told Smith.</li>
<li>At least four students expressed that things are worse or at least not &#8220;better&#8221; since the Trump administration.</li>
<li>One student confided that he voted for Biden because he thought he would cancel student debt.</li>
</ul>
Recent polling shows President Biden is shedding support from independents, fast.
Results from a Reuters/Ipsos poll released Friday revealed &#8220;independents are evenly split in their views of Biden’s job performance, with 46 percent approving and 46 percent disapproving. The figure represents a marked difference from June, when 52 percent of independents gave Biden positive reviews for his performance in the White House, while 38 percent disapproved,&#8221; The Hill <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/569705-poll-biden-faces-drop-in-support-from-independent-voters">reported</a>.
&#8220;The drop in approval among a key voting bloc comes amid a new surge in COVID-19 infections driven by the highly contagious delta variant. At the same time, Biden and his administration have faced blowback over the chaotic withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan.&#8221;
WATCH:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="&#039;He&#039;s Failed&#039;: Students Disown Joe Biden After Endless &#039;Disaster&#039;" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NbfZ0002G_M?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-medias-10-most-brutal-criticisms-of-bidens-afghanistan-debacle">The Media’s 10 Most Brutal Criticisms Of Biden’s Afghanistan Debacle</a>

President Biden Addresses The Nation After Explosions Rock Kabul

WATCH: ‘He’s Failed’: Students Who Voted Biden Unsatisfied After Afghan Collapse, Inflation

Joe Biden

America has lost an inarguably great man. Walter Williams, one of the nation’s great economists and public intellectuals, died in the early hours of Wednesday morning after teaching his final class at George Mason University on Tuesday. He was 84.
A self-described &#8220;crazy-ass man&#8221; and libertarian economist with a black belt in karate, he focused on government&#8217;s role in perpetuating racial inequality.
A ferocious defender of free markets and a powerful explainer of the virtues of liberty, Williams brought a personal toughness honed as a Philly cab driver to his work; a contrarianism born of growing up poor in the city’s racially segregated housing projects. But he never allowed himself to be a victim of his circumstances.
A disciple of Ludwig von Mises, F.A. Hayek and Milton Friedman, Williams worked for 40 years at George Mason University, putting his heart and soul into transforming the economics department into a highly respected center of free market scholars. Talking with Robert Chatfield of the Free To Choose Network, Williams said he tried to avoid using anything written within the last 40 years in his economics class. He wanted students to know that Mises, Hayek, and Friedman were right then, and they’re still right today.
A nationally syndicated columnist and author of ten books including his seminal work, &#8220;Race and Economics&#8221;, a highly acclaimed must-read on the subject, his research was rigorous and his writings bold and unequivocal. His book, The State Against Blacks, was made into the television documentary &#8220;Good Intentions&#8221; in 1985, with his most recent documentary, “Suffer No Fools” debuting in 2015. He was one of the few economists who knew how to engage with the public. 
A libertarian in the truest sense, Williams refused the title as a descriptor, saying &#8220;I just do my own thing,&#8221; when asked by Reason Magazine in 2011 whether he saw himself as part of the libertarian movement. 
In a moving elegy to his best and closest friend of more than half a century, Thomas Sowell wrote, “There was no one I trusted more or whose integrity I respected more. Since he was younger than me, I chose him to be my literary executor, to take control of my books after I was gone. But his death is a reminder that no one really has anything to say about such things.”
Sowell shared a running joke between he and Williams, that there was a time when the entire black conservative community would have only consisted of the two of them, “Walter used to say the two of us should never fly on the same plane otherwise the whole movement will disappear if the plane goes down.”
To misquote slightly a line from Hamlet, “He was a man, Horatio, take him for all in all, we shall not look upon his like again.” 
Walter Edward Williams, rest in peace.

Walter Williams

Walter E. Williams, R.I.P.

Thomas Sowell

George Mason University&#8217;s Antonin Scalia Law School hired Supreme Court Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh to co-teach a course this summer called Creation of the Constitution. The course will be held 3,668 miles away, in Runnymede, England, where the Magna Carta was sealed 800 years ago. Some George Mason University students and faculty have become triggered. One student told George Mason&#8217;s Board of Visitors, &#8220;It has affected my mental health knowing that an abuser will be part of our faculty.&#8221; Another said, &#8220;The hiring of Kavanaugh threatens the mental well-being of all survivors on this campus.&#8221; The Washington Post reports that a petition to fire Kavanaugh has gathered almost 3,500 signatures and has the endorsement of George Mason Democrats. GMU students have created separate forms for parents and alumni to pledge that they will not donate to the university so long as Kavanaugh is teaching.
Part of student demonstrations included defacing a statue of the university&#8217;s namesake George Mason by putting blue tape on his mouth and attaching anti-Kavanaugh signs. The university&#8217;s spokesman Michael Sandler gave The College Fix a mealy-mouthed excuse saying, &#8220;We allow students to dress up the statue, so this doesn&#8217;t violate any policies that I&#8217;m aware of.&#8221; He said the university &#8220;strongly supports freedom of expression and this would seem to fall into that category.&#8221; His vision suggests that freedom of expression includes defacing university property.
Youngsters with little understanding might be forgiven for their protest of a U.S. Supreme Court associate justice sharing his wisdom with law students. But faculty members cannot be excused. Professor Bethany Letiecq, the head of the George Mason chapter of the American Association of University Professors, endorsed a call by UnKoch My Campus, another leftist group, for a congressional investigation of GMU&#8217;s law school&#8217;s hiring of Justice Kavanaugh as an adjunct faculty member. Fortunately for civility, Dr. Angel Cabrera, the university&#8217;s president, said that there were no legitimate grounds for an investigation by the university. He threw a bit of pablum to the protesters by saying: &#8220;I respect the views of people who disagreed with Justice Kavanaugh&#8217;s Senate confirmation due to questions raised about his sexual conduct in high school. But he was confirmed and is now a sitting Justice.&#8221; Considering that a college president is also a politician, that statement demonstrates good judgment. According to The College Fix, after listening to the student protestors speak during the board meeting, Cabrera and Board of Visitors rector Tom Davis said they were proud of the students and appreciated that they spoke up and acted as engaged citizens. That&#8217;s nonsense.
I receive many questions from people around the nation who are surprised by the happenings at GMU. As I have advised on numerous occasions, George Mason University erroneously earns a reputation as a conservative/libertarian university because of its most distinguished and internationally known liberty-oriented economics department, which can boast of two homegrown Nobel laureates in economics. Its Antonin Scalia Law School has a distinguished faculty that believes in personal liberty and reveres the U.S. Constitution &#8212; unlike many other law schools that hold liberty and our Constitution in contempt. The rest of the university is just like most other universities &#8211; liberal, Democratic Party-dominated. The chief difference between my GMU colleagues and liberals at some other universities is that they are polite, respectful and congenial, unlike what one might find at places like U.C. Berkeley or University of Massachusetts.
GMU students and faculty may also be disturbed about what Justice Kavanaugh is going to teach. In the course, Creation of the Constitution, he will explain how much the Magna Carta influenced the founders of our nation. The 1215 Magna Carta limited the power of central government and it forced a reigning monarch to grant his English subjects rights. It contained a list of 63 clauses drawn up to limit King John&#8217;s power, resulting in making royal authority subject to the law instead of reigning above it. It laid the foundations for limited constitutional governments, an idea offensive to most leftists.
Walter E. Williams is a professor of economics at George Mason University. To find out more about Walter E. Williams and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.

WILLIAMS: Justice Kavanaugh And GMU Snowflakes

Brett Kavanaugh

George Mason University says that United States Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh will continue to teach a single summer course at the Antonin Scalia Law School, despite concerns from the student body that Kavanaugh&#8217;s presence made them feel &#8220;unsafe.&#8221;
&#8220;Even if the outcome is painful,&#8221; the school&#8217;s president, Angel Cabrera, told a group of students who gathered at a &#8220;town hall&#8221; even earlier this week, &#8220;what&#8217;s at stake is very, very important for the integrity of the university.&#8221;
The school&#8217;s provost noted that George Mason saw &#8220;no reason for university administrators to override&#8221; the law school&#8217;s decision to welcome Kavanaugh as a guest lecturer during the summer semester, and Cabrera agreed, even though the students at the town hall were left completely bewildered as to why the administration had failed to take their &#8220;mental health&#8221; into consideration when extending an invitation to Kavanaugh.
The <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/george-mason-university-students-brett-kavanaugh_n_5cb75ca6e4b081fd16924ff3?i0g">Huffington Post</a> reports that students organized the town hall as a protest, alongside an ad campaign and a petition, which received around 10,000 signatures. But it was to no avail.
&#8220;Even if in this particular case the outcome is one that you deeply disagree with, the process by which these decisions are made and the reason why we are so firm in defending them is actually essential to the way a university like ours operates,&#8221; Cabrera insisted to the students.
The town hall, arranged by anti-sexual assault activists on campus, quickly turned, then, from a discussion between students and administrations into an airing of grievances, with students openly condemning Kavanaugh for his own &#8220;alleged sexual assault&#8221; &#8212; a single accusation of impropriety leveled by a former high school classmate about an incident that took place decades ago, and which the FBI could find no proof of. Kavanaugh has routinely and stridently denied the allegation.
One activist even suggested the Kavanaugh contract &#8212; which has the Supreme Court justice teaching a single class for the next three summers at the school&#8217;s campus in the United Kingdom (not even in the continental U.S.) &#8212; was evidence that GMU somehow encouraged sexual violence on campus.
&#8220;How could Kavanaugh possibly be hired despite Ford&#8217;s allegations? Why is the college student that recorded women in the bathroom still on this campus?&#8221; said one protester, according to HuffPo. &#8220;A blatantly obvious response by GMU [would be one] that states that first they do not believe Dr. Blasey Ford&#8217;s testimony and second do not care about the safety of their students.&#8221;
&#8220;In hiring Kavanaugh, to what extent did you consider the mental health of the survivors on campus and how that might affect them and their education?&#8221; asked another &#8212; a question which HuffPo describes as earning &#8220;snaps&#8221; from the gathered students (clapping is, it seems, now considered triggering).
Others were left simply baffled.
<blockquote>
&#8220;Oh, my God,&#8221; one female student said aloud.
&#8220;Why?&#8221; asked another, to no one in particular.
</blockquote>
Kavanaugh, of course, defended himself against Dr. Christine Blasey Ford&#8217;s allegations in an appearance under oath in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee. He has now served on the Supreme Court for half a term.

George Mason University To Protesters: Brett Kavanaugh WILL Teach Here, Sorry

Christine Blasey Ford

Sexual Assault

Get accused of sexual assault these days, no matter how old, thin, or conveniently timed the allegations were, and there will be activists determined to see that you are never free to surface on planet Earth.
Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh was accused of sexual misconduct just after President Donald Trump nominated him last summer. The allegation didn&#8217;t surface until just before he was supposed to be confirmed, delaying confirmation to allow time for a contrived hearing of the original allegations and for more &#8220;accusers&#8221; to come forward. Naturally, more did, yet their stories were even more unbelieveable than the first. One woman couldn&#8217;t remember if Kavanaugh was the man who harassed her, yet media outlets printed her allegation. Two other women came forward as clients of disgraced attorney Michael Avenatti. He and one of the clients have been referred for criminal investigation over the allegations.
Kavanaugh was confirmed, yet those who insist we believe every woman who makes an accusation (especially against a Republican) still believe he is, in fact, a sexual abuser even though no evidence exists to prove that claim. The people the accusers said could corroborate their stories could not do so.
Kavanaugh, now a Supreme Court Justice, was offered a summer teaching job at George Mason University. Activists quickly spun into action to get him fired, and a liberal &#8220;dark money&#8221; group stepped in to help.
Demand Justice, the &#8220;dark money&#8221; group, is led by former Hillary Clinton press secretary Brian Fallon and has been buying Facebook ads targeted at George Mason students, faculty, staff, and alumni, and calling on them to sign a petition initiated by students which currently has nearly 5,000 signatures, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/clinton-official-george-mason-kavanaugh-allegations">according to Fox News</a>.
The Huffington Post <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/george-mason-university-brett-kavanaugh_n_5cae552ee4b0308735d48efd">reported</a> that the ads also request those affiliated with George Mason sign a separate petition calling for congressional Democrats to investigate Kavanaugh, even though he had already gone through several FBI background checks and an additional week-long investigation prior to his confirmation.
The Washington Examiner (my former employer) <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/politics/former-hillary-clinton-aide-behind-lobbying-efforts-to-get-university-to-fire-kavanaugh">reported</a> that the student group is calling itself Mason for Survivors and has been circulating the petition for the past month. It calls for George Mason to &#8220;Terminate AND void ALL contracts and affiliation with Brett Kavanaugh.&#8221; It also demands the university apologize for hiring him in the first place and provide more funding for sexual assault victims.
So far the university has not kowtowed to student demands. George Mason president Angel Cabrera released a statement saying, he &#8220;respect[s] the views of people who disagreed with Justice Kavanaugh&#8217;s Senate confirmation due to questions raised about his sexual conduct in high school,&#8221; but added that &#8220;he was confirmed and is now a sitting justice.&#8221;
In a news release, former Clinton aide Fallon said Kavanaugh &#8220;has been credibly accused of sexual assault by multiple women whose allegations have not been thoroughly investigated.&#8221;
As stated earlier in this article, this is simply not true. One woman, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, seemed credible as she spoke before Congress, but her story was not backed up by her supposed witnesses, including one of her best friends. The other allegations lacked any corroboration whatsoever, even after multiple media outlets (The New Yorker, The New York Times, NBC) tried desperately to find evidence. They, of course, printed the stories anyway, breaking journalistic ethics.

Former Hillary Clinton Spox Is Trying To Get Brett Kavanaugh Fired From His Teaching Job

Some students at George Mason University have decided that even though a class taught by Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh will be held in England, they want him fired from the faculty. As Zachary Petrizzo reports for <a href="https://www.thecollegefix.com/students-protest-visiting-professor-brett-kavanaugh-as-threat-to-mental-health/">The College Fix</a>, video footage taken from the public comment period of GMU&#8217;s board meeting last week shows various students claiming their mental health would be challenged by the very idea of Kavanaugh having a position as a visiting law professor.
One female student commented, &#8220;The hiring of Kavanaugh threatens the mental well-being of all survivors on this campus.&#8221; Another female student echoed, &#8220;It is affecting my mental health knowing that an abuser will be part of our faculty.&#8221; A third chimed in, &#8220;As someone who has survived sexual assault three times, I do not feel comfortable with someone who has sexual assault allegations walking on campus.&#8221;
The class will be held this summer in Runnymede, England, which is where the Magna Carta was signed.
Last Wednesday at a Faculty Senate meeting, as Petrizzo <a href="https://www.thecollegefix.com/gmu-faculty-want-new-probe-of-kavanaugh-there-has-not-been-a-full-investigation/">reported</a>, GMU President Angel Cabrera responded to criticism of the hiring of Kavanaugh by saying, &#8220;He has been confirmed by &#8212; this is not a crazy appointment. This is a Supreme Court justice who is going to be teaching about the United States Constitution. So from that standpoint, I believe I am not going to question the judgment of that. It&#8217;s not a crazy appointment. &#8230; Having a Supreme Court justice is going to create value for the students. The students, by the way, have agreed. The students have signed up to this class.&#8221;
Petrizzo noted, &#8220;Cabrera added he is not making a judgment about the accusations lodged against Kavanaugh or whether he is guilty or innocent.&#8221;
Professor Bethany Letiecq, president of George Mason University&#8217;s American Association of University Professors chapter, replied, &#8220;Well, should we investigate that? I mean, should we investigate that? He&#8217;s been accused, and there has not been a full investigation as far as I&#8217;m &#8230; that I can see.&#8221;
The idea that Kavanaugh was not thoroughly investigated is about as ludicrous a statement as one could make; he was likely the most-investigated nominee of any person who has been put forth as a possible justice on the Supreme Court. The summary report and exhibits alone of the <a href="https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/press/rep/releases/senate-judiciary-committee-releases-summary-of-investigation-from-supreme-court-confirmation">investigation performed by the Senate Judiciary Committee</a> totaled 414 pages. 45 individuals were interviewed; 25 written statements were taken.
Robby Soave of Reason, who took an even-handed approach to the furor surrounding the Kavanaugh hearings, <a href="https://reason.com/blog/2019/04/08/gmu-brett-kavanaugh-survivors-sexual-mis">pointed out succinctly</a>:
<blockquote>
But even if an investigation were to take place, this would hardly placate the student activists: They want the university to #CancelKavanaugh immediately. This follows from the fourth-wave feminist presumption that all self-proclaimed survivors of sexual misconduct must be telling the truth&#8212;even though at least one of the Kavanaugh accusations is <a href="https://reason.com/blog/2018/10/26/planned-parenthood-julie-swetnick-avenat">extremely dubious</a>. It would be a terrible blow to the principles of fairness and academic freedom if a university were to un-person one of the foremost judicial figures in the country over this.
</blockquote>

George Mason University Students Want Brett Kavanaugh Thrown Off Faculty

Virginia Democrats are attempting to prevent George Mason University from <a href="http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SCALIA_LAW_SCHOOL?SITE=MYPSP&amp;SECTION=HOME&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2016-04-06-18-47-19">renaming its law school</a> after the late Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia.
The school received a $20 million donation from an anonymous donor with the proviso that the law school be named after Scalia, which prompted eleven Democrats to write to the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, (SCHEV) demanding that the school refuse to use the late justice&#8217;s name.
On Tuesday, after briefly naming the law school the Antonin Scalia School of Law, which would have had the acronym ASSLAW, the school changed the prospective name to the Antonin Scalia Law school.
The letter from the partisan legislators stated that Scalia &#8220;was also one of the most controversial justices in modern history. Indeed, we have received pleas from alumni who are deeply concerned that this decision will undermine their ability to find future employment or undermine their professional reputation.&#8221;
One of the legislators, Del. Marcus Simon, D-Falls Church, bragged that the petition he created to protest the name change had elicited over 1,000 signatures. He intoned that he was concerned for students at the law school, saying, &#8220;This is a big, in-your-face kind of a move,&#8221; adding that the $20 million donation and a $10 million donation from the conservative Koch Foundation would attempt &#8220;to shape their young minds and train them in the Scalia way of thinking. That&#8217;s troubling to me.&#8221;
Simon has <a href="v">viciously attacked</a> the prospective name change, writing, &#8220;When word of the name change spread on social media on the last day of March, many of us assumed it was an April Fool&#8217;s Day joke that someone&#8217;s intern had mistakenly released a day early.&#8221; Showing his vehement disregard for the Constitution and Scalia&#8217;s championing of an originalist perspective, Simon, whose vaunted law degree came from American University (Scalia graduated from Harvard Law School and was regarded as one of the most brilliant minds to serve on the Supreme Court) wrote, &#8220;Supporters of the name change will argue that regardless of what you think of Scalia&#8217;s political views and legal opinions, you have to admire his intellect. I would argue that originalism and textualism are anti-intellectual.&#8221;
Simon was echoed by Sen. Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, who complained,&#8221;To simply steamroll people&#8217;s collective input over $20 million from an anonymous donor is outrageous.&#8221;
<blockquote>
&#8220;When word of the name change spread on social media on the last day of March, many of us assumed it was an April Fool&#8217;s Day joke that someone&#8217;s intern had mistakenly released a day early.&#8221;
Intellectual giant Marcus Simon, Democrat from Virginia, slamming Antonin Scalia
</blockquote>
Law school senior associate dean David Rehr responded, &#8220;We just want to be sure we&#8217;re being respectful to Justice Scalia, to the school and our students&#8221; by using Scalia&#8217;s name. SCHEV spokesman Greg Weatherford said the council would consider George Mason University&#8217;s proposal for the name change.
Law school dean Henry Butler Butler stated that donations are treated as confidential while the terms are being negotiated; thus views from others are temporarily limited.

Democrats Butthurt By Scalia Try To Stop A University From Naming Their Law School After Him

Antonin Scalia

George Mason University decided to rename their law school in honor of the late great Justice Antonin Scalia. The university, however, apparently did not proofread the troublesome acronyms created by The Antonin Scalia School of Law at George Mason University: &#8220;ASSLaw&#8221; or &#8220;ASSoL.&#8221;
Naturally, the Twittersphere erupted with suggestive and comical remarks over the rear-end-resembling acronym of the new law school.
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ASSLaw?src=hash">#ASSLaw</a> is trending. Lol. I don&#8217;t think this is the PR they were expecting. Antonin Scalia School of Law. Roflmao I prefer <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ASSoL?src=hash">#ASSoL</a> myself.
&#8212; La Bella Esq. (@LaBellaEsq) <a href="https://twitter.com/LaBellaEsq/status/715664072679796739">March 31, 2016</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
George Mason School of Law renamed Antonin Scalia School of Law, or ASSLaw&#8230;ASSOL. Did NOBODY proof those acronyms? <a href="https://t.co/D1C6HncReT">pic.twitter.com/D1C6HncReT</a>
&#8212; Brieahn J. DeMeo (@Brieeeeee) <a href="https://twitter.com/Brieeeeee/status/715704982390063105">April 1, 2016</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
It will always be <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/asslaw?src=hash">#asslaw</a> to me <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ASSlawforever?src=hash">#ASSlawforever</a>
&#8212; Dylan Petrohilos (@dpetrohilos) <a href="https://twitter.com/dpetrohilos/status/717702273133051904">April 6, 2016</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
I suspect that they are busy trying to figure out how to put out the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ASSLaw?src=hash">#ASSLaw</a> fire first. <a href="https://t.co/mrLtyQYMNs">https://t.co/mrLtyQYMNs</a>
&#8212; Ian Millhiser (@imillhiser) <a href="https://twitter.com/imillhiser/status/715642360642797572">March 31, 2016</a></blockquote>
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The well-intended, now-remorseful university quickly sent a letter to the students to cover their&#8230; behinds. GMU explained that they had initially &#8220;authorized to use a variety of different names.&#8221;
&#8220;The name initially announced &#8211; The Antonin Scalia School of Law &#8212; has caused some acronym controversy on social media,&#8221; said the dean of the law school, adding, &#8220;The Antonin Scalia Law School is a logical substitute.&#8221;
The Hill <a href="http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/justice-antonin-scalia-gmu-law-school-acronym-controversy-assol-asslaw">notes</a> that the law school is now &#8220;using the alternative name on its website and marketing materials.&#8221;
&#8220;The renaming of the school is expected to be effective July 1, with final approval from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia.&#8221;
Soon after the mishap, Dean Henry N. Butler and a professor at the university, co-authored a piece in the Washington Post about the memorializing of originalist Scalia.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Dean Butler &amp; Prof Rao co-author piece in <a href="https://twitter.com/washingtonpost">@washingtonpost</a> on memorializing Justice Scalia by naming school after him <a href="https://t.co/FR4d057yOP">https://t.co/FR4d057yOP</a>
&#8212; Scalia Law School (@georgemasonlaw) <a href="https://twitter.com/georgemasonlaw/status/717433484218916864">April 5, 2016</a></blockquote>
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George Mason University Wanted to Name Its Law School After Scalia. Then They Ran Into A Problem.

Three students at George Mason University were arrested after police officers discovered bomb-making material Wednesday evening.
The <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/03/22/three-students-arrested-on-drug-bomb-charges-at-george-mason-university.html">Associated Press</a> reports that &#8220;a leafy green substance, match books, shaved match heads, a mortar and pedestal, lighter fluid, hand sanitizer candles and a PVC pipe&#8221; were found in a dorm room in Jefferson Hall, all of which can be used to create a bomb.
Two students were arrested on charges relating to drugs and alcohol, while another was arrested for the possessing bomb-related materials. None of the suspects were identified.
While the motivation on the alleged bomb-making isn&#8217;t clear, the editorial staff at <a href="http://redalertpolitics.com/2016/03/22/bomb-making-george-mason-univ-dorm-3-students-arrested/">Red Alert Politics</a> suggests that it may be terror-related:
<blockquote>
GMU is located in Northern Virginia, where there has been a notable uptick in radical activity among youths. In nearby Prince William County, 17-year-old Ali Shukri Amin pled guilty last July to &#8220;conspiring to provide material support to terrorists&#8221; when he helped ISIS recruit another teen to go to Syria.
Other reports have shown a concerted effort by ISIS to engage teenage Americans. One paper by George Washington University identified Virginia as a hotspot for these recruiting efforts. While we know very little about the motive and identity of these GMU students, this trend is worth noting as the investigation develops.
</blockquote>
Regardless, students in the dorm are relieved that the police discovered the bomb-making materials.
&#8220;It&#8217;s surprising to me that no one else on the floor knew about it, and if they did, they didn&#8217;t say anything about it,&#8221; student Sydney Cono <a href="http://www.fox5dc.com/news/local-news/111090902-story">told</a> FOX 5 DC. &#8220;Explosive are very, very harmful, but at least the police caught it before something bad could have potentially happened.&#8221;

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