Let’s Talk Even More About Dr. Li-ann Thio
Jeez. Even we are sick of this story — and that’s saying a lot.
But apparently some folks think, despite the endless navel-gazing and handwringing over the (canceled) visit of Dr. Li-ann Thio to NYU Law School, that there is more to be said here.
The following letter, from the NYU Law School chapter of the ACLU, was sent by email to Dean Revesz last night.
NYU LAW SCHOOL ACLU — LETTER TO DEAN RICHARD REVESZ
Dear Dean Revesz,
We the board of the New York University School of Law American Civil Liberties Union write to express our support for a town hall meeting to discuss the visiting professorship of Dr. Li-Ann Thio.
Although Dr. Thio has cancelled her visit to the Law School, her appointment remains a very serious issue for many in the Law School community. We were gratified to learn that the Law School had agreed to host a town hall meeting to discuss the appointment. We think it important that the meeting still occur. We believe that such a meeting will provide an appropriate forum in which the community can come together to discuss hate speech, academic freedom, and the role of law schools and legislators in society. We do not think that the need for such a discussion has been satisfied by the individual exchanges among students, faculty, and members of the administration that you referenced in your July 22, 2009 statement regarding Dr. Thio. In addition, we hope that holding this meeting sends a message that the community’s concerns merit an open discussion, particularly for those in the community who were shocked and hurt by Dr. Thio’s appointment.
We also write to echo OUTLaw’s grave concerns about Dr. Thio’s appointment, and to join OUTLaw and other student groups in condemning Dr. Thio’s reprehensible statements about the gay community. We call on the Law School to condemn in the strongest terms possible Dr. Thio’s statements and actions supporting state-sponsored oppression as antithetical to the values of the New York University School of Law, something the Law School has not yet done. We do not believe that the Law School would compromise its commitment to academic freedom by making such a statement.
We understand that Dean Pascale Walker was to be arranging the town hall meeting to discuss this issue. We have copied her on this letter and would like to be included in the town hall meeting’s planning, which we hope very much will go forward.
A hard copy of this letter will follow by mail.
Sincerely,
The NYU ACLU board
(71) 
Comments
First to say Welcome Back, Carter
http://www.gallup.com/poll/113980/Gallup-Daily-Obama-Job-Approval.aspx
last!
guys in my highschool used to post first all the time, it's kind of a big deal.
Handwringing. Nice one, Lat.
Effects of overdosing on cannabis: laughing too much, eventually perhaps going to sleep.
Effects of overdosing on alcohol: severe vomiting, eventually death.
Effects of overdosing on Tylenol: severe pain, eventually death.
Cost of manufacturing cannabis for yourself... pennies per dose.
Reason cannabis is illegal? Big Pharma is one of the most powerful lobbies in the world, and would rather see our jails full of innocent people then lose $$$ off their bottom line. Cheap cannabis would immediately displace much of Big Pharma's expensive medicines, including pain medicine, anti-nausea medicine, glaucoma medicine, insomnia medicine, and scores if not hundreds of other treatments.
Big industry (including Pharma, Timber, and Oil) was behind the push to make "marijuana" illegal, if you look at the power, connections, and ownership behind the national newspaper monopolies that ran racist stories about violent, minority "marijuana" users in the 1920's to scare the public into supporting banning hemp. Our Founding Fathers grew hemp and it has been used since time immemorial. From clothing to paper to oil to medicine, it is one of the most useful and cost-effective plants known to man. Big Pharma and Alcohol are contributors to the "Partnership for a Drug Free America". They have a key interest in making sure the people's drugs stay illegal while their drugs stay legal. They inundate your children with propaganda and use your elected representatives to keep hold of that interest.
The ACLU has not been so principled when it comes to so-called "hate speech." Glad to see that the NYU ACLU board is following in the footsteps of the national ALCU in leaving its strong commitment to free speech and academic freedom at the door in order to denigrate certain speech.
Shouldn't the ACLU be supporting academic freedom?
"Jeez. Even we are sick of this story -- and that's saying a lot."
So drop it already.
What a load of crap!
Tolerance is mandatory and the thing to do as long as the tolerance is not required for views opposite of yours. I am an NYU alum, and after this fiasco, will NEVER donate to NYU. And I am gay (not that it matters), but I believe in her right to teach/discuss views that are completely contrary to my own - that is what America and tolerance is about.
Is the rumor true that Lat is a gay homosexual attorney blogger man?
Support killing babies=fine
Support idea not approved by OUTLAW=fired
I'm still trying to figure out what this has to do with liberty. I mean, the lady's views are pretty out there, but does liberty include not having to voluntarily subject yourself to views contrary to your own?
In other news, the ACLU are a bunch of douches.
Title for next post:
HAS ATL JUMPED THE SHARK?: Casual Readers and Hardcore Groupies, Along with Drs. Gates and Thio Weigh in Over a Beer, After the Jump.
This story feels like I stuck a garden hose up my nose to drink!!!
The ACLU should be supporting Thio's appointment and her right to share her views, even though they happen to be controversial [um, Skokie, anyone?]. I hope the NYU ACLU is more of a reflection of the nutbag liberals at NYU than of the ACLU as a whole.
-liberal minority who believes in free speech
Come to the Town Hall meeting. Budweiser, Red Stripe, and Blue Moon for everyone!
ATL won't stop until Thio is dead or comes out of the closet!!!
http://www.televisiontunes.com/Welcome_Back_Kotter.html
Bored with all of this Thio drama. What a tempest in a teacup.
Jesus Christ. Enough. STFU. No one cares. NYU Law is a PC re-education camp in which no dissent is brooked. We get it.
Is it possible to be both gay and a Darwinist? I mean, there's got to be some explanation other than evolution for the existence of homosexuality. Or is it just like the appendix or the dew claw?
Is it possible to be both gay and a Darwinist? I mean, there's got to be some explanation other than evolution for the existence of homosexuality. Or is it just like the appendix or the dew claw?
What did she say, something to the effect that gay anal sex wasn't as enjoyable as hetero anal sex? What's so controversial about that? There's nothing like the sweet ass of a female BigLaw associate, am I right fellow chubbychasers?
9, you're the fucking man.
Anyone watch Top Chef Masters last night? I like the French guy -- class act all the way.
NYU Student #1: Look over there. It's a dead horse!
NYU Student #2-7: *kick kick kick kick*
15-well said.
i hear she can snort a golf ball through a garden hose
Can't we just do what the Romans used to and throw the gays and blacks into the coliseum and have them fight ligers and stuff?
If Scalia were to retire from the court, and NYU offered him a professorship, would it be a controversial decision?
Discuss.
Liger is probably my favorite animal.
30 - given that the last time Scalia went to NYU some guy asked him if he sodomized his wife, I'd say that scenario is fairly unlikely to occur.
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20050502/berndt
Wow to you ACLU haters, you guys must have really failed Con Law (or more likely, are 0L's) NYU is a PRIVATE school, thus there is NO Free Speech/First Amendment protection and nothing for the ACLU to fight for. (State-Action Doctrine) - 15 quick history lesson, the Nazi's in Skokie wanted to protest in the public streets and thus were protected under the First Amendment, it is not just anything controversial, there also has to be some way in which the ACLU can help their client.
-Person who believes in Free Speech
In the title, should it be "Let's" or "Lets"? I think the latter.
I suppose that I should know the answer to this question, but is NYU Law School accredited by the American Bar Association?
Let's not forget that it was not NYU students, or NYU, or ATL, that told TThio not to show up. She had the famously pinko administration of the school backing her up all the way. She flaked because her feelings were hurt (in one case, deeply, by an itinerant IT professional).
When you stake your claim to the discourse by calling certain people perverts and criminals against nature, you have got ot have a thicker skin. And her whole MO makes the complaints of her tedious supporters, banging on about how liberals can't engage in grown-up discussions reflecting diverse viewpoints, seem really silly.
Certain people like tough talk about degeneracy, "lifestyles," sin, and corruption of society, but then they want to play by the Marquis of Queensbury rules when their targets respond. Next time, ya'll keep your left up.
34, you're evidently an idiot.
Hey Lat, help us out. Can you link to the past ATL stories that covered the outrage over GULC's invitation to admitted terrorist and attempted murderer William Ayers to speak at the school, or Columbia's invitation to Holocaust denier Ahmadinejad? Was having a hard time finding them in the archives. Thnx babe
How pathetic. So OUTLaw got all the press for taking an early and firm (albeit ridiculous and wrong) stance on an interesting and controversial matter. And then, after the viewpoints of the student body were clear and the point was moot, NYU ACLU steps in and says, "Wait, we want some attention too" and tries to piggyback the work OUTLaw has done.
You missed the boat/train, ACLU, and it's sailed/left the station. Nobody would've thought badly of you for not having the time to issue a press release because you were busy with your summer job or journal or XBox or all the other things most law students do with their time instead of trying to fire someone over their speech. But nope, you just had to get your 15 minutes of shame. And here it is. ATL's posting of your story is the media equivalent of pity sex. You're probably glad you got it, but everyone else just thinks it's disgusting.
Wow to 33, I'm not sure any of us were talking about filing suit. We were, ya know, just being advocates of free speech in general. You know, like principles and stuff. Don't think any of us were crying to the government to step in and save us or the doctor, just pointing out a few hipocracies...
- 3L who got an A in Con Law.
30 and 32
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0lSZ6QOArs
Video of the circus @ nyu when scalia came. What a worthless school
Throw the gays and blacks to the ligers!
Angry Masses ....rabble rabble rabble rabble....
33, so if all the private hospitals in Virginia decide not to provide abortions, that's not really an issue that affects abortion rights? Given the state action doctrine, it's probably not something that NOW or NARAL should fight against, right? If they support the hospitals, it's not like they're hypocrites. After all, there is no constitutional protection for the clients.
Oh wait, I suppose there are these things called principles.
41 - cheers for that.
- 32
Well said, 36.
Wow to 33, I'm not sure any of us were talking about filing suit. We were, ya know, just being advocates of free speech in general. You know, like principles and stuff. Don't think any of us were crying to the government to step in and save us or the doctor, just pointing out a few hipocracies...
- 3L who got an A in Con Law.
9 - very, very well said.
yeah Lat, how bout uhhh ..... how bout gettin us those stories?
I know what the ACLU is, and the NYCLU and NYU, but what is the NYU ACLU board (Lower case "b" in the original. When did the ACLU start organizing university 'chapters' -- if that is what this is.
So the ACLU is arguing against speech they disagree with? Really? Really? Exactly what is the purpose of the ACLU if not to protect the right to free speech for even those with unpopular views.
43-
Basic, indisputable economics: if all the hospitals in Virginia refused to perform abortions, new hospitals willing to perform abortions would meet the needs of the market.
Liberals are nazis.
BORING.
50- the purpose of the ACLU is protect the interests of vocal special interest groups.
33---I was speaking in analogy, and you're speaking in . . . just, what? And you're right, I'm a 0L that doesn't know anything about Skokie except that it's a funny sounding word. I'd rather be a 0L with no knowledge, yet valid points than some asshole law student who took a semester of conlaw and now thinks he/she is the next constitutional scholar of the century. Get a life.
15
DUMB. If the NYU Older, Wiser Law Students (OWLS) group issued a statement, would that be newsworthy?
This whole thing was a non-story from the get-go, and I'm ashamed of my law school for the whole affair. Sure she's an idiot, but way to be jerks about it, OUTLaw.
-NYU 2L
"ACLU" is a misnomer
9 should be required reading about this issue.
34 - "Let's" = "let us."
Dear ACLU,
You have succeeded in making it even HARDER to justify your existence. Thio sucks, but you suck even more for supporting the gag over her mouth. My $50 annual donation may be chump-change, but it's chump-change that is going somewhere else.
So Lat, you're tired of this crap hubub, and yet post some pointless ramble of the law school chapter of a hypocritical fringe group?
Doesn't add up.
WE DO NOT TOLERATE INTOLERANCE! FREEDOM OF SPEECH FOR EVERYONE, EXCEPT THOSE WHO WE CAN'T TOLERATE.
- NYU ANTI CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION
Can you say "circle jerk".
I knew that you could.
I think the NYU/ACLU should come out in support of her hands. Surely the reprehensible statements made about her hands warrants their support.
I was hoping that maybe, just maybe the ACLU would have taken the higher road here, and before reading the article and seeing that it was the NYU Chapter of the ACLU vs. the national chapter of the ACLU, was thinking maybe they would.
But yup, to echo other posters, the NYU ACLU is more about pushing a liberal agenda than they are about free speech, academic freedom, and exchange of ideas. That's often, but not always true for the national ACLU, and I give them plenty of credit when they're defending free speech and free discourse in a non-partisan way. However, crap like this from one of their subgroups doesn't help their reputation as being above the fray (as they like to portray themselves and defenders of all rights, not just liberal ones).
Anti Civil Liberties Union - great one 62, I'll use that going forward, thanks.
What it once might have been, the ACLU now is nothing more than a leftist political action group, arguing to protect only certain liberties, and usually only when consistent with a far left agenda, while actively positioning against other liberties inconsistent with that agenda. (E.g., They disingenuously argue that the 2nd amendment protects a "collective right," i.e., a right of government itself, when the founding fathers were completely unambiguous in their intent that the amendment was in large part to allow citizens to protect themselves FROM the state - if the King had been able to remove guns from the population at large and give them exclusively to a government controlled "National Guard" or other military apparatus, there very well might not have been a revolution or constitution to begin with! This obvious fact was not lost on the authors of the bill of rights, who therefore protected the rights of citizens to defend themselves with arms, however much the communists at the ACLU wish it were otherwise.)
That should be "Whatever it once might have been..."
The ACLU never turns down an opportunity to whine.
They could care less about the issues, they just love getting hard-ons to whining and listening to others whine about the same stuff they like to whine about.
I will be a billionaire one day. NYU will get no money from me. Period.
Note to current NYU Law students--if you did not spend three years in law school working off the assumption that all conservatives you deal with are racists and bigots (and treating them accordingly), you would find those same conservatives more attentive when you raise a fuss over someone who actually is a bigot.
68 - hilarious
69 - good point, although it's hopeless to make it, unfortunately, since your audience is beyond reason. the only thing that can wake up leftists who think that anyone to their right is like george wallace, is being attacked by their compatriots for dissenting on a particular issue. then they'll see how uncivilized it is to throw terms like "bigot" around when there's simply a disagreement.
70 - good point Dr Thio. Nothing bigoted about you in the least. LOL.