Georgetown law professor under fire for comments about Black students' performance

Some students are calling for the termination of the professor after a recording of a conversation went viral.

Some Georgetown University Law students and alumni are calling for the termination of a professor captured on video discussing the performance of Black students.

“I end up having this angst every semester that a lot of my lower ones are Blacks, happens almost every semester," the professor said in the video.

The conversation between two law professors at the Washington, D.C., school was filmed and posted to the online database Panopto, where students, who have been attending classes virtually because of the pandemic, can access the recordings. The video is no longer available on the platform.

“We learned earlier this week that two members of our faculty engaged in a conversation that included reprehensible statements concerning the evaluation of Black students,” Georgetown Law Dean Bill Treanor wrote in a letter sent to the university Wednesday.

“We are responding with the utmost seriousness to this situation,” he wrote, adding that the University's Institutional Diversity, Equity and Affirmative Action Office has opened an investigation.

"The Law School is also pursuing additional responses and will act swiftly and seriously to address this incident," he said.

Tanya Weinberg, the director of media relations for the law school, confirmed that a video shared on Twitter is the same video addressed by Treanor.

The professor has not been identified by the university.

The Black Law Student Association has collected more than a thousand signatures from students, alumni and others demanding that the school take action. The petition calls for the professor's termination and an audit of past grades and student evaluations. It also calls for a commitment to hiring more Black professors.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/education/georgetown-law-professor-under-fire-comments-about-black-students-performance-n1260559

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4784713&forum_id=2#42084245)

can't wait until the findings from the audit are publicly released! we'll get to the bottom of this racist blind grading

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4784713&forum_id=2#42084264)

She doesn't seem leftist.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4784713&forum_id=2#42084378)

Nope. Professor Red Pill. You don’t get it. It’s not about black people doing better. It’s about them getting more. Deal with it.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4784713&forum_id=2#42086302)

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4784713&forum_id=2#42087003)

Still LOL'ing at this comment

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4784713&forum_id=2#42115706)

it was insane enough 15 years ago, but zero actual education can possibly be occurring in the current environment.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4784713&forum_id=2#42084337)

not flame

https://www.panopto.com/

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4784713&forum_id=2#42084353)

https://twitter.com/hahmad1996/status/1369786323293310985

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4784713&forum_id=2#42084351)

@GtownJD

·

11h

Admissions isn’t about to waste their time and energy admitting Black students who aren’t qualified.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4784713&forum_id=2#42084360)

yeah i imagine as you go down the ranks the disparity grows exponentially larger.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4784713&forum_id=2#42087095)

You can kind of see the other professor like, "Is this a fucking trap?"

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4784713&forum_id=2#42084375)

"This is by no means the end of our work to address the many structural issues of racism reflected in this painful incident, including explicit and implicit bias, ***bystander responsibility***, and the need for more comprehensive anti-bias training."

https://www.law.georgetown.edu/news/a-message-to-the-georgetown-law-community/

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4784713&forum_id=2#42086713)

@jaywillis

Only thing I’ll add to this is that if you’re a teacher and you notice that students of a certain race are doing poorly in your class year after year, that’s a you problem, you’re a shitty teacher who is failing your students

https://mobile.twitter.com/jaywillis/status/1369864212411904002

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4784713&forum_id=2#42084448)

@blkesquire

·

51m

Replying to

@jaywillis

and

@hahmad1996

Racism will make it hard to be a good teacher don't you think...🧐😒

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4784713&forum_id=2#42084455)

https://mobile.twitter.com/hahmad1996/header_photo

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4784713&forum_id=2#42084460)

They went after Amy Wax for telling the truth.

They will kill this prof for telling the truth too.

Truth is the ultimate crime.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4784713&forum_id=2#42086253)

"The present policy of admitting students on two bases and thereafter purporting to judge their performance on one basis is a highly explosive sociological experiment almost certain to achieve undesirable results."

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4784713&forum_id=2#42086301)

https://heterodoxacademy.org/blog/the-amazing-1969-prophecy-that-racial-preferences-would-cause-the-exact-grievances-of-protesters-today/

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4784713&forum_id=2#42089695)

HOME PAGE NOT FOUND

Page Not Found

The page you tried to access was not found. You may use the site search below or go back to the homepage. For additional concerns or questions please contact us.

https://www.law.georgetown.edu/faculty/sandra-a-sellers/

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4784713&forum_id=2#42086326)

===

President, Technology Mediation Services LLC; Adjunct Professor of Law

Sandra A. Sellers

B.A., Dickinson College; J.D., George Washington

B.A. Dickinson College; J.D., George Washington University Law School.

Professor Sellers is President of Technology Mediation Services, LLC. She mediates and arbitrates intellectual property and high tech disputes involving, e.g., patent, trademark, copyright and trade secret infringement; software contracts; and other complex business conflicts. Prior to founding Technology Mediation Services, Professor Sellers was Vice President of Intellectual Property Education and Enforcement for the Software Publishers Association (SPA) (now known as the Software and Information Industry Association (SIIA)), where she was responsible for enforcing SPA’s members’ intellectual property rights worldwide. She also negotiated domestic and international licenses related to SPA’s educational programs and materials, and advised members on software licenses. Before joining the SPA, Professor Sellers was a shareholder in the Washington, DC office of Willian Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione, where she specialized in intellectual property litigation and counseling, particularly in the computer industry. Previously, she was an attorney-advisor to the chief administrative law judge of the US International Trade Commission.

Professor Sellers has served as a Director of the International Trademark Association (2005-07), and Chair (2002-03) and Vice-Chair (1999-2001) of the ADR Committee. She was chair of the International Institute for Conflict Prevention and resolution (CPR)’s Advisory Committee for Information Technology Conflict Management. She served on the American Bar Association’s Task Force on E-Commerce and ADR. She is author of “Ethics and Online Dispute Resolution,” Dispute Resolution Ethics: A Comprehensive Guide, American Bar Association (2002), and various articles on ADR. She has been named one of the “Legal Elite” by Virginia Business magazine since 2007.

Professor Sellers is a member of the panels of neutrals of US District Court for the District of Columbia, the US International Trade Commission, International Trademark Association, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Arbitration and Mediation Center; and other local panels. She is certified by the Supreme Court of Virginia as a civil mediator in civil court and circuit court.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4784713&forum_id=2#42086367)

Holy shit. Panopto? Maybe we ARE in a simulation

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4784713&forum_id=2#42086736)

diversity office = the new SS

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4784713&forum_id=2#42086749)

likewise, law school's curved grading system is also biased toward whitey and doesn't accurately reflect how well blacks know and apply their legal knowledge.

really, the only fair way to give blacks grades in law school is to segregate their tests and curve them against themselves

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4784713&forum_id=2#42100693)

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4784713&forum_id=2#42086857)

Hassan Ahmad

@hahmad1996

·

19h

Since folks are trying to defend Prof. Batson: 1) he had an obligation to call her out on it & report her and did not, 2) the source was a student in their class, not him and not me, 3) this recording was up and available to students in the class for weeks before being taken down

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4784713&forum_id=2#42086864)

Hassan Ahmad

@hahmad1996

abolition in our lifetimes. |

@umich

→

@georgetownlaw

| he/him | وَاللّه (ﷻ) هـو شاهـدي

Detroit → D.C

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4784713&forum_id=2#42086947)

She should have said it brought her joy instead

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4784713&forum_id=2#42087010)

Dear Georgetown Law Alumni:

Dean Treanor issued the two statements below outlining the campus response to the conversation between two adjunct faculty members that came to our attention this week. We will keep you apprised of future developments. Thank you.

Gene Finn

Assistant Dean of Development and Alumni Affairs

Sent: March 11, 2021 at 1:15 PM

To the Georgetown Law Community,

As I wrote to you last night, I am appalled that two members of our faculty engaged in a conversation that included reprehensible statements concerning the evaluation of Black students. I have further reviewed the incident and have now spoken to Professor Sellers and Professor Batson, giving each the opportunity to provide any additional context. I informed Professor Sellers that I was terminating her relationship with Georgetown Law effective immediately. During our conversation, she told me that she had intended to resign. As a result of my decision, Professor Sellers is no longer affiliated with Georgetown Law. Professor Batson has been placed on administrative leave pending the investigation by the Office of Diversity, Equity and Affirmative Action, the results of which will inform our next steps. Until the completion of the investigation, Professor Batson will have no further involvement with the course in which the incident arose.

We are taking significant steps to ensure that all students in this class are fairly graded without the input of Professor Sellers or Professor Batson.

This is by no means the end of our work to address the many structural issues of racism reflected in this painful incident, including explicit and implicit bias, bystander responsibility, and the need for more comprehensive anti-bias training. This is a matter of great concern to me. I will be writing to you soon with a range of actions and changes that we will implement to address these issues. I will also send information about a listening session for the Georgetown Law student community that we plan to hold tomorrow.

Sincerely,

Bill Treanor

Sent: March 10, 2021 at 8:44 PM

To the Georgetown Law Community,

We learned earlier this week that two members of our faculty engaged in a conversation that included reprehensible statements concerning the evaluation of Black students. We are responding with the utmost seriousness to this situation. I have watched a video of this conversation and find the content to be abhorrent. It includes conduct that has no place in our educational community. We must ensure that all students are treated fairly and evaluated on their merits.

We are taking this incident extremely seriously. Upon hearing of it, I immediately engaged the University’s Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity & Affirmative Action, which is undertaking a thorough investigation. The Law School is also pursuing additional responses and will act swiftly and seriously to address this incident.

I recognize how hurtful this incident is to members of this class, to the members of the Black community, and to members of our community as a whole. I am committed to taking steps to support students through this and to addressing racism and bias wherever they appear. There is no place for bias in our grading process or anywhere in our community.

Sincerely,

Bill Treanor

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4784713&forum_id=2#42088026)

Holy shit. Imagine if your livelihood and income were effectively controlled by that group.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4784713&forum_id=2#42088040)

no, bill, the statements concerned the performance of black students.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4784713&forum_id=2#42089797)

=====

The basic numbers are not in serious dispute.

Using a standard 1,000-point scale to reflect both L.S.A.T. scores and undergraduate grade-point averages, Professor Sander writes, the average black student's score was 130 to 170 points below that of the average white student.

Once at law school, the average black student gets lower grades than white students: 52 percent of black students are in the bottom 10th of their first-year law school classes, while only 8 percent are in the top half. And the grades of black students drop slightly in relative terms from the first year of law school to the third.

Black students are twice as likely as whites to fail to finish law school. Nineteen percent of the black students who started law school in 1991 had failed to graduate five years later; the corresponding figure for whites was 8 percent.

About 88 percent of all law students pass a bar exam on the first attempt; 95 percent pass eventually. For blacks, the corresponding figures are 61 percent and 78 percent.

https://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/13/weekinreview/for-blacks-in-law-school-can-less-be-more.html

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4784713&forum_id=2#42089416)

I hope he is retired, otherwise he should be fired from his job and jobless for the rest of his life

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4784713&forum_id=2#42089624)

Why are the top law schools so disgustingly racist against Blacks? Can we get a DOJ investigation into this?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4784713&forum_id=2#42089747)

Every Georgetown organization and 791 law students have signed the Letter of Condemnation.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4784713&forum_id=2#42090216)