A Yale Law School dean known for her enthusiasm for diversity, equity and inclusion and a tumultuous history of controversies over free speech and anti-Semitism could become the university’s next president.
Heather Gerken, the current dean of Yale Law School, is now in the running to succeed Peter Salovey, five insiders told the Free Beacon.
Gerken is already making waves in the race for the top stakes with her record, which includes shaming a conservative student via email, having “woke” students cancel a speaker and hiring a trainer who claimed that anti-Semitic hate crimes are exaggerated.
Her relationships with wealthy alumni could also boost her candidacy, a source told the outlet.
Furthermore, in response to Jewish students’ concerns after the October 7 Hamas massacre, Gerken had her secretary refer them to counseling services instead of addressing concerns about anti-Semitism.
Heather Gerken, the current dean of Yale Law School, is now in the running to succeed Peter Salovey, five insiders told the Free Beacon
Gerken was in the spotlight in 2021 when the law school threatened a Native American student named Trent Colbert (pictured) via email and pressured him to apologize for sending a party invitation that described the venue as a ‘trap house’.
“I understand that these are very challenging times,” Gerken’s chief of staff, Debra Kroszner, wrote in an email to Jewish students who were personally targeted by students who supported terrorism and blamed Israel for Hamas’s actions.
Gerken was in the spotlight in 2021 when the law school threatened a Native American student named Trent Colbert via email – pressuring him to apologize for sending a party invitation that described the venue as a “trap house.”
Colbert was accused of using a word with racial connotations, but the Native American student insisted his email had no such purposes.
He recorded being pressured to apologize by associate dean Ellen Cosgrove and diversity director Yaseen Eldik, who even prepared a written letter for him to sign.
‘I was told that if I didn’t apologise, things could ‘escalate’. I was told that an apology would be more likely to resolve the situation, and it was suggested that there would be lingering effects on my reputation because the “legal community is small,” Colbert wrote in a blog post at the time.
‘The subtext behind the meetings that followed became increasingly clear: apologize or risk the consequences. They even went so far as to write up an apology for me addressed to the Black Law Students Association, but I declined to take advantage of it.”
Colbert was also accused of “triggering” students by being a member of the conservative-leaning Federalist Society.
This led to intense scrutiny and rumors about her possible removal from her position as dean, but Gerken survived and now seems destined for a promotion.
The aftermath of scandals in which other Ivy League presidents lost their jobs for mishandling anti-Semitism adds to the selection process issue (Photo: Former Harvard President Claudine Gay)
The above invitation triggered some recipients, who said it contained racially insensitive language
Gerken also faced criticism for not taking action against students who violated free speech policies by shouting out conservative speaker Kristen Wagoner.
In the incident, Yale law students disrupted a free speech event, threatening conservative speakers and causing a riot.
Gerken was convicted for failing to impose consequences on the students involved, setting what some called a “terrible precedent.”
Gerken also had a bizarre public clash with outspoken professor Amy Chua, before stripping her of her teaching job after she was accused of hosting a dinner party during the pandemic.
She then allegedly pressured two students to provide false testimony, resulting in settlements of undisclosed amounts.
In another controversial move, Gerken hired diversity trainer Ericka Hart, who has argued that the FBI is deliberately inflating anti-Semitic hate crime numbers.
This decision was part of the law school’s broader efforts to integrate diversity, equity and inclusion programs into every aspect of education.
Despite these controversies, Gerken is on the radar of Yale’s presidential search committee, according to the Beacon.
It is unclear how many candidates are eligible. According to some sources, Gerken is a frontrunner.
Two faculty members told the Free Beacon that Gerken is being considered based on second-hand knowledge of the “search process.”
Her relationships with wealthy alumni could boost her candidacy, one student told the outlet, highlighting the role of fundraising in the selection process.
Wealthy alumni she is reportedly linked to include Alibaba Group Chairman Joseph Tsai and Blackstone Chief Financial Officer Michael Chae, who reportedly help her run.
“The donors are part of why the school takes her seriously,” the source told the Free Beacon.
Gerken also faced criticism for not taking action against students who violated free speech policies by shouting out conservative speaker Kristen Wagoner.
However, Gerken’s prioritization of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, reflected by her commitment to anti-racism and controversial decisions in dealing with campus issues, may pose challenges for her, especially in the wake of intense scrutiny of university leaders.
The aftermath of scandals in which other Ivy League presidents lost their jobs due to mishandling of anti-Semitism adds to the issue of the selection process.
Although Gerken’s bid for the presidency of Yale University has been marked by a controversial record, raising questions about her suitability for the role, the decision ultimately rests with the Yale Corporation, the university’s governing body, which will select Salovey’s successor .
Two months after the death of George Floyd in 2020, Gerken also reportedly sent a school-wide email titled “Yale Law School’s Commitment to Anti-Racism.”
In the message, she pointed to the efforts of “colleagues of color,” especially black colleagues, in the fight against racism and racial oppression.
The email outlines several initiatives, including the creation of new centers focused on “health equity” and “environmental justice,” the appointment of a diversity specialist in every office in the law school, and a commitment to send one million books to prisons around the world. country.
The students shouted abuse at Waggoner, including one threatening that they would ‘literally fight you, b***h’
The protesters denounced the speaker and chanted “protect trans kids” and “shame, shame” through the law school building after police officers escorted her and Miller out of the building.
It also promised an annual course on critical race theory and pledged to “diversify the iconography of the law school through portraits, photographs and art.”
In addition, she had refused to exhibit a painting of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, a prominent Black alumnus of the law school, since its donation to Yale in 2019.
However, a portrait of Judge Sonia Sotomayor is reportedly on display in the law school’s largest classroom.
“We recognize that our colleagues of color, especially our Black colleagues, have long done more than their share in the unrecognized work of citizenship in the fight against racism and racial oppression,” Gerken wrote to the school in 2021.
The email, first reported by the Free Beacon, also allegedly said students would be discouraged from calling the police.
“The law school will train our community not to seek assistance from the Yale Police on campus for non-law enforcement matters,” Gerken wrote. “The Yale Police Department has agreed to work with the Law School on a plan to redirect Law School calls to non-police forms of assistance whenever possible.”
