Stanford Law lessons: DEI depts quietly pull the strings at local institutions

In the wake of the Bay Area's Stanford University free speech scandal, Reason's Josh Blackman asks what everybody is wondering but doesn't want to say out loud: Why was the law school's DEI dean the de facto spokesperson for Stanford? Blackman unravels how Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion has stuck its nose into all issues possibly correlated with discrimination (big surprise: it's most of them) and, as a result, has commandeered how local higher ed administrations deal with problems.

Judge Duncan's protest is a perfect illustration of that dynamic. Much has been said about what Dean Tirien Steinbach said. But a better question is why was she the one to speak? SLS has many associate deans who could have represented the administration. Indeed, there were several deans present in the room, including Jeanne Merino, the acting associate dean of students. Why did the DEI Dean speak at the podium? Steinbach claimed in the WSJ that she "was asked to attend the event by the Federalist Society." I am skeptical of this claim–and I am 100% confident that FedSoc would not have invited Steinbach if they knew she would not enforce the policy, but would instead berate Judge Duncan. But let's assume FedSoc invited her as the mediator. And let's assume that Steinbach's fellow associate deans, and even Dean Martinez, designated her as the representative of the administration. Why?

On today's campus, DEI administrators are among the most powerful positions. When every single conflict is refracted through the lens of race, it is of course obvious that DEI should be the sole arbiter of those disputes. (I'm sure many critics will dismiss this post as a byproduct of racism.) Consider the actual words that Steinbach used. She spoke on behalf of the administration:

And there is always an intention from this administration to make sure you all can be in a place where you feel fully you can be here, learn, grow into the amazing advocates and leaders and lawyers that you're going to be.

Because me and many people in this administration do absolutely believe in free speech.

Steinbach obviously thought she could speak on behalf of the Stanford Law School. And why would she think that? For some time, these roving bureaucrats have assumed a limitless jurisdiction to touch every facet of an academic institution that could fall within the chasm of diversity, equity, and inclusion–roughly the emptiness of the Grand Canyon.

This article originally appeared in Reason. Read the whole thing here.

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Jax Oliver