The Stanford Law DEI Dean that berated a federal judge this month finally broke her silence, authoring an op-ed to defend her actions. Tirien Steinbach is currently on leave from her position at Stanford University after encouraging a vulgar and threatening protest against Judge Kyle Duncan, who had been invited to speak by the school’s Federalist Society chapter. During the event, Steinbach was recorded on video seizing the podium from Duncan, accusing him of dividing the student body and denying “the humanity of people.” The diversity dean now insists she did nothing wrong and was only deploying “de-escalation techniques” she had learned.
“As a member of the Stanford Law School administration—and as a lawyer—I believe that we should strive for authentic free speech,” Steinbach proclaimed in a Wall Street Journal op-ed, just two weeks after Duncan had to be escorted from his event by security. “We must strive for an environment in which we meet speech—even that with which we strongly disagree—with more speech, not censorship.”
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Steinbach recounted that the university’s Federalist Society chapter asked her to attend the event and said that her role was “to observe and, if needed, de-escalate.” She described a “verbal sparring match” that erupted after Duncan entered the room. Video of the event captured student protesters shouting “liar” and “scumbag” at Duncan. Witnesses later recalled one protester calling for Duncan’s daughter to be raped.
VIDEO: a DEI bureaucrat in action
Stanford Law's associate dean for DEI, Tirien Angela Steinbach, is an obvious moron, appointed only because she is a black woman. Here, she starts crying because FedSoc invited a conservative circuit judge.
$100k per year for this "education" pic.twitter.com/jGnuIGgZlg
— Maxwell Meyer (@mualphaxi) March 10, 2023
Steinbach insisted in her piece that “tempers in the room were heated on both sides.”
“I stepped up to the podium to deploy the de-escalation techniques in which I have been trained, which include getting the parties to look past conflict and see each other as people. My intention wasn’t to confront Judge Duncan or the protesters but to give voice to the students so that they could stop shouting and engage in respectful dialogue. I wanted Judge Duncan to understand why some students were protesting his presence on campus and for the students to understand why it was important that the judge be not only allowed but welcomed to speak.”
She then wrote that to “defuse the situation” she “acknowledged the protesters’ concerns.”
“I pointed out that while free speech isn’t easy or comfortable, it’s necessary for democracy, and I was glad it was happening at our law school.”
In her March 9 speech, Steinbach describes Duncan’s work as “abhorrent” and “harmful.”
“At one point during the event, I asked Judge Duncan, ‘Is the juice worth the squeeze?’ I was referring to the responsibility that comes with freedom of speech: to consider not only the benefit of our words but also the consequences. It isn’t a rhetorical question. I believe that we would be better served by leaders who ask themselves, ‘Is the juice (what we are doing) worth the squeeze (the intended and unintended consequences and costs)?’ I will certainly continue to ask this question myself.
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Steinbach described the incident as a “microcosm of how polarized our society has become” but denied that she had any role in making it so polarized.
“Whenever and wherever we can, we must de-escalate the divisive discourse to have thoughtful conversations and find common ground. Free speech, academic freedom and work to advance diversity, equity and inclusion must coexist in a diverse, democratic society.”
A Wednesday memo from Stanford University confirmed that Steinbach has been on leave since the incident but did not elaborate on whether it was voluntary. Dean of Stanford Law Jenny S. Martinez stated in the memo that the shutdown of Duncan’s speech was a “failure to ensure that the university’s disruption policies were followed.” Martinez pledged to “ensure that university rules on disruption of events will be followed” and apologized to Judge Duncan.
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