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Georgetown Law Challenges U.S. Attorney's Threat Over DEI Policies

The law school's dean rebuked a demand from Trump-appointed prosecutor Ed Martin, citing First Amendment protections and the university's Jesuit mission.

The campus of Georgetown University is shown March 12, 2019 in Washington, DC.
FILE - Ed Martin speaks at an event at the Capitol in Washington, June 13, 2023. (AP Photo/Amanda Andrade-Rhoades, File)
D3FEHX Georgetown University Law Center building - Washington, DC USA

Overview

  • Interim U.S. Attorney Ed Martin warned Georgetown Law that its graduates would be barred from employment in his office unless the school eliminated diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts.
  • Georgetown Law Dean William Treanor strongly rejected Martin's demands, emphasizing the constitutional protections of academic freedom and the university's Jesuit values of inclusivity and dialogue.
  • Treanor's response highlighted that the Department of Education and Supreme Court have consistently upheld universities' rights to determine their own curricula.
  • Martin, a controversial Trump appointee, has faced criticism for politicizing his role, including a recent Senate Judiciary Committee complaint alleging misuse of prosecutorial powers.
  • Legal experts and commentators widely agree that Martin's threat violates the First Amendment, drawing comparisons to hypothetical government overreach targeting other ideological teachings.