One law school showed its dedication to racial justice by revoking an offer of admission to a prospective law student. According to reports, SMU Dedman School of Law had to reverse course on a 0L’s admission after it was discovered they made social media posts deemed “racially offensive.”
Though the law school is limited about what they can say about the student by the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (the student’s name and other details have, thus far, remained anonymous), they did put a statement on Twitter expressing, “Racism has no place on a campus that embraces respect for all SMU students, faculty and staff and equips its students to make a difference in the world.”
While Dean Jennifer Collins has not commented on the admissions decision, she recently wrote a statement after George Floyd’s murder that, “as lawyers, we have a special obligation to demand that we do better and actively work together toward a more just and compassionate nation free of the discrimination and hatred that continues to plague this country.”
The school’s decision comes as #BlackAtSMU is trending where students are sharing their own stories of racism at the university. University President R. Gerald Turner said of the trending hashtag:
“It grieves me to read them because this is not what we envision for SMU,” Turner wrote. “The negative experiences shared through #BlackAtSMU are a stark reminder that we still have a lot of work to do.”
Students were cautiously optimistic about the university’s response to #BlackAtSMU, seeing it as a first step. The law school’s decision to revoke admission to someone publicly making offensive statements seems in line with the school’s commitment to “racial equality and inclusion.”
As for the student in question, let’s hope they finally learn some consequences for their online racism.
Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, and host of The Jabot podcast. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter (@Kathryn1).