Erwin Chemerinsky, Dean of University of California, Berkeley School of Law, and his wife, Berkeley law professor Catherine Fisk, have found themselves at the center of a contentious situation. The couple recently took preventative steps to halt a protest by a Muslim law student at their residence during a ceremonial dinner for graduating students.
An online recording of the incident has since gained a considerable amount of public attention, causing the Dean to publicly defend the actions that were taken. Protests and debates surrounding academic freedom, civil liberties, and students’ rights to express dissent are not strangers to university campuses. The incident at UC Berkeley Law embroils the institution., in particular the Dean, in yet another debate on these sensitive subjects. This incident’s spread has surely sparked discussion among legal professionals and scholars alike, making the topic one to keep an eye on in the university and legal landscapes moving forward.