by Things quickly went south during a speech by federal judge Kyle Duncan to law students at Stanford University this week, when the associate dean of the department of diversity, equity and social inclusion (DEI) punched him in the face after cheerleaders interrupted his presentation.
Duncan, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump, began being mobbed by student protesters who made it impossible for him to continue his speech.
According to video footage from Thursday’s event, Dean Tirien Steinbach did nothing to stop the riots and instead launched into an emotional minute-long speech during his presentation accusing him of causing “harm” through his work on the Court of Appeals of the US for the Fifth Circuit , and recommending that the school review its free speech policies.
“I had to write something because I feel so uncomfortable up here. And I’m not saying that out of sympathy, I’m just saying that I feel deeply, deeply uncomfortable,” Steinbach said, standing just a few feet from Duncan in the lecture hall. “I feel uncomfortable because this event tears at the fabric of this community that I care about and am here to support.”
“I have to ask myself… is the juice worth squeezing? Is this worth it?” he said at the event organized by the Stanford Federal Society.
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Duncan, looking frustrated, suggested the incident was a “setup” before Steinbach interrupted him and continued.
“It’s not a facility. For a lot of people in this law school who work here, who study here and live here, your advocacy, your views from the bench, is considered an absolute affront to their rights,” Steinbach said.
Duncan tried to speak again, but the room erupted in laughter and Steinbach stopped him, saying, “Please, let me finish.”
“It’s uncomfortable to say this to you as an individual. It’s uncomfortable to say that for a lot of people here, your work has caused harm … and I know that must be uncomfortable to hear. It has to be,” he said. “I also feel uncomfortable because many of the people in the room here I have come to care for.”
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Tirien Steinbach, Stanford University Law School’s associate dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, criticizes U.S. District Court Judge Kyle Duncan during his guest appearance at the school on March 9, 2023. (Snapshot/ Vimeo – Center for Ethics and Public Policy)
Steinbach, who previously served as program director at the ACLU of Northern California, went on to describe how her job as DEI’s associate dean was to create “a space that belongs to all the people in this institution,” despite not some were put off by the students’ continued aggression toward Duncan.
She told Duncan she welcomed him “wholeheartedly” because she believed in the necessity of free speech, but went on to say his speech was “abhorrent”, “harmful” and “literally denies people their humanity”.
He added that he did not want to censor Duncan and that he found the university’s free speech policy “worth defending even now.” Afterwards, however, he asked again if Duncan’s speech was worth it.
“And, again, I ask, is the juice worth squeezing? Is it worth the pain this causes and the division this causes?” asked. “You have something so incredibly important to say about Twitter and guns and COVID, then it’s worth that impact and division… When I say it’s worth the squeeze, that’s what I’m asking. Is it worth it?”
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A general view of the Main Quadrangle and Hoover Tower buildings on the Stanford University campus in Palo Alto, California. (David Madison/Getty Images)
Steinbach went on to say that she would stay for Duncan’s presentation and to hear his point, but that she understood that the students who felt harmed by his views were “so great” that the university “may need to reconsider” the policy of freedom of speech.
“Thankfully they’re in a school where they can learn the advocacy skills to advocate for these changes,” she said.
He then thanked the protesters for “protecting the freedom of speech that we value here.” Before giving those who chose not to stay to hear Duncan the opportunity to leave.
“I’m looking out and not asking what’s going on here. I’m paying attention and saying I’m glad this is happening here,” he added before turning the event back to Duncan as a crowd of students filed out of the room.
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Fox News Digital reached out to Stanford University for comment, but did not immediately hear back.
