August 26, 2020

"On Monday morning, members of the Yale Law School faculty received a terse message from their provost informing them that Professor Jed Rubenfeld 'will leave his position as a member of the YLS faculty for a two-year period, effective immediately'..."

"... and that upon his return, Rubenfeld would be barred from teaching 'small group or required courses. He will be restricted in social gatherings with students.' As of Tuesday morning, he was no longer listed on the Yale Law faculty site. Three people familiar with the investigation that led to Rubenfeld’s suspension said it stemmed from the university finding a pattern of sexual harassment of several students. The allegations, which spanned decades, included verbal harassment, unwanted touching, and attempted kissing, both in the classroom and at parties at Rubenfeld’s home.... Rubenfeld said Tuesday, 'I think subsequent to me having written some controversial articles about sexual assault, that I became a target of people making false allegations against me.' Who was making these false allegations, exactly? 'I don’t know,' Rubenfeld said, 'because of confidentiality. Identities were not revealed to me.' That’s not true, according to Yale’s stated policies — and one of the complainants.... Rubenfeld is married to fellow Yale Law professor Amy Chua, author of Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, and both wield power in the high-stakes race for judicial clerkships. In the summer of 2018, it was Chua who took to the pages of the Wall Street Journal to vouch for then–Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh as a 'mentor for young lawyers, particularly women.'"

From "Yale Law Professor Jed Rubenfeld Has Been Suspended for Sexual Harassment" (New York Magazine).

Via Glenn Reynolds, who says: "If I recall correctly, they started going after him when he and his wife Amy Chua defended Brett Kavanaugh."

51 comments:

Nichevo said...

What is this modified limited hangout stuff? If he's guilty why don't they get rid of him? If he's not guilty, what are they doing? If they don't know if he's guilty, isn't there supposed to be some kind of process?

Dave Begley said...

He's still collecting his $300-500k per annum. Right, Ann?

Temujin said...

Well...I still don't know if he did anything or if his crime was 'wrongthink'. It's not like there have not been previous cases of people being accused of sexual harassment for mere complimentary words. It's also possible he's creepy as in Joe Biden type of creepy where he nuzzles his face in his students hair, or grabs their butt when posing for a photo with them, or maybe flat-out rapes them. But Joe...Joe is a Democrat running for President, so that kind of harassment is AOK. Rubenfeld is in trouble because he spoke out for a conservative.

He must be removed.

Temujin said...

By the way, per my earlier comment regarding the accusation on Rubenfeld vs. Joe Biden's actual behavior- it should be noted that the faculty and administration at Yale will vote squarely for Joe Biden at a 98% clip this November. So it's not like they have any actual standards. But they sure know how to preen.

traditionalguy said...

Cancelled.

rhhardin said...

I myself have been accused of creating a hostile work environment. There was some discussion of the theoretical issues with the boss, who said, at the end, "Well, don't talk to women."

Bob Boyd said...

I think Defund the Police is about moving Social Justice warriors/Studies majors from the campus into the police and court system and taking over the broader Justice system.

Ryan said...

If he is totally innocent he will sue for defamation.

Mike Sylwester said...

Christine Blasey Ford is the model for making false sexual-harassment accusations against political opponents.

The key is to look distraught when making the false accusations.

Fernandinande said...

Rubenfeld is in trouble because he spoke out for a conservative.

That is a form of sexual harassment to people of sexual gender.

Achilles said...

The left is a fascist movement that is anathema to die process and equal treatment under the law.

Tom said...

After watching the Raised Fist Proto-Nazi’s last night on video intimidating a women eating dinner, I’m guessing that it wouldn’t be hard to fabricate charges against him. The means and motives exist.

It sucks that we have to think this way but the commies have a adopted “anything you win” tactics, placing the rest of us in the position of defending western civilization.

Ken B said...

Pour encourager les autres.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

If the asshole left could cancel everyone not in line, they would. The left are modern Nazi Germany. They would love to shove us into the ovens.

mockturtle said...

Universities should be shut down. Not only have they become mere money-making establishments but crucibles of leftist hate and TDS. Think of the money parents will save as their children go into the world to learn about real jobs and real people. Tuition dollars could be spent on rental properties, laundromats or storage facilities to give the kids some business experience and basic income. As we currently have more than enough lawyers and import most of our physicians, anyway, universities have become, shall we say, de trop?

bagoh20 said...

I love how we punish people with paid vacations. How did that become a thing?

This country need to start respecting the regular people who make most of the stuff and pay most of the bills with no tenure, no ridiculous job protection rules, no pension, no lifetime free healthcare. Those of us in that majority group have to actually pay our own bills and plan and prepare our own retirement. The rest of you have no idea what it's like being a truely self supporting citizen. We support you for the rest of your life, and hope we have enough left over for ourselves.

rhhardin said...

Universities no longer make the promise of being able to say anything in pursuit of the truth; they're dispensers of content instead.

gilbar said...

If they don't know if he's guilty, isn't there supposed to be some kind of process?

YES THERE IS! the process is: All Must Fully Support the liberal religion
and the first one to stop clapping, is sent to Siberia

Dave Begley said...

I've posted this before and the story is that a University of Iowa law professor gave a lecture one night at Creighton. At the post lecture wine and cheese party, he propositioned two of my female classmates. At the time, Creighton had an apartment right in the law school building and he was staying there.

Both of my classmates were Catholic, one was married and one was engaged. We were all aghast. It was 1980 or 1981.

Kai Akker said...

Gotta sympathize with a man married to the Tiger Mom.

Static Ping said...

There was a time when I would have assumed Yale was acting in good faith and they had a valid reason for this course of action. That trust is gone, so I do not know what to make of this other than this can be nothing good. Given the nature of the charges, the fact that he only received a suspension instead of a dismissal indicates to me one of the following:

1. The charges are garbage and this is punishment for political matters.
2. The charges are valid and perhaps even worse than being admitted, but the professor has enough blackmail material to soften the blow.
3. The charges are valid, but the crime is so common that if they enforced it consistently they would have to dump most of their professors and hire a new batch.

It says something that all those scenarios make Yale look terrible, and I'm not sure which the worst of the scenarios is. The idea that this may be an actual valid reasonable punishment seems so remote as to be beyond consideration.

wendybar said...

This is how the left plays. You don't follow their RULES, and they ruin your life. Wake the hell up.

Joe Smith said...

First, if he's that bad, fire him and he can sue (lawyers, after all).]

Second, if he is being so severely restricted in his duties and made out to be a perv, again, sue.

Third, all parties are adults, this is not high school. Anyone who claims sexual harassment in any setting should be named. Even if there is some bullshit privacy rule, the person (and his lawyer) should be allowed to know the identities of the complaining parties...so they can be sued.

Fourth. Is it an actual crime, as in, is this harassment in the criminal code? Then a complaint with the police should be made. Otherwise, STFU (oh, and sue).

Fifth, sue their asses off for defamation of character or whatever else a smart lawyer can come up with...last time I checked, Yale had billions in endowments. Get your piece.

Sixth, sue the motherfuckers.

Mike said...

I'm a right-leaning libertarian. In a better world I'm a math professor, where I probably belong. But there's no way I can be there; the lack of intellectual diversity is so strong I would always be looking over my shoulder. So instead, I'm in the corporate world, which I like, but don't really fit into.

rcocean said...

I wonder why Trump chose Kavanaugh, he strikes me as such a weirdo. Never trust a man who surrounds himself with women subordinates or only mentors women. He's either after them sexually, or he's a weak-willed egomaniac who thinks male subordinates will "Compete" with him and can't tolerate it. One thing I like about trump is he tries to have strong male subordinates. Note: he also has an acceptable number of strong female subordinates.

rcocean said...

Universities should be burned down, especially the humanities. Its amazing that so-called conservatives spend a fortune to sent their children to college and can't tell you what there's supposed to be educated in. If all College is nothing more than a vocational program or a way to select people for Law school or Medical school, we can do it much cheaper and better by reducing the amount of time and money spent at a 4 year university.

But of course, the only people who think and want change are Leftists. the Center right just want to make $$ and watch football.

JML said...

"Well, don't talk to women."

Good advice for some...or at least, have another person in the room when you do.

daskol said...

The wheels of justice grind slow. So too for the wheels of injustice. This is ideological warfare. This is fucking dark.

Churchy LaFemme: said...

I've posted this before and the story is that a University of Iowa law professor gave a lecture one night at Creighton. At the post lecture wine and cheese party, he propositioned two of my female classmates. At the time, Creighton had an apartment right in the law school building and he was staying there.

Both of my classmates were Catholic, one was married and one was engaged. We were all aghast. It was 1980 or 1981.


Not sure I see the issue here? They weren't his students, everyone was an adult. Unless there was something else like feeling them up or whatever, it's not illegal to ask someone to sleep with you.

buwaya said...

"Universities should be burned down, especially the humanities."

I've been saying this for many years.

" This is ideological warfare. This is fucking dark. "

I've been saying this for decades. And its much, much worse than just this.

Michael K said...

rcocean said...
I wonder why Trump chose Kavanaugh, he strikes me as such a weirdo.


I did too as I thought he was a squish. He impressed me as a Bush-type appointment.

Still, that didn't save him from the feeding frenzy. Probably stiffened his spine.

Joe Smith said...

"...it's not illegal to ask someone to sleep with you."

It actually improves your odds if you do ask, and it's polite.

Unless you're Cosby or Weinstein...then the odds are always in your favor. You know, rape-rape.

Owen said...

This guy criticized the Title IX kangaroo court “guidance” imposed by Obama through Catherine Lhamon’s “Dear Colleague” letter in 2011 et seq. So he was a marked man, and now his moment has come. YLS is about as Marxist a place as you can want, and this kind of hugger-mugger feminist-themed assault by innuendo is exemplary Marxist tactics.

I wish I had studied the Russian Revolution and the history of the USSR in greater detail. Solzhenitsyn was a good introduction; “Death of Stalin” was excellent; Arthur Koestler likewise; but these resources are hardly adequate as we try to understand what is coming into being here and now.

Hubert the Infant said...

I think there are two types of people: (1) those who like and respect Yale and Harvard and (2) those of us who have come to realzie that Yale and Harvard are evil. This is a more useful way of predicting how people will vote than the more traditional elite/non-elite categorization. It is also more optimistic, as it is possible to overcome indoctrination and peer pressure to see the light. Degrees are not destiny.

Fernandinande said...

attempted kissing

That makes me laugh for some reason.

Guilty by reason of attempted insanity!

Rosalyn C. said...

Two years is the usual time for a course of therapy, so possibly the guy has some issues. I checked out an interesting video of Amy Chua and Jeb Rubenfeld discussing their book on cultural groups, "Triple Package" -- gosh they are so both so intense and steely, she in particular. If Rubenfeld has any insecurities at all it wouldn't be surprising that he would crave and encourage the attention and flirting of female students.
On the other hand, I have no idea what is true about this situation. I have personally seen women deliberately group together and make false accusations of sexual harrassment. Pure evil.

Skeptical Voter said...

Well the guy was guilty of wrong think. And when he comes back he'll have to carry a wrong think leper's bell. Fun Medieval--or just Evil--Times at Yale.

Static Ping's analysis is spot on.

Francisco D said...

Dave Begley said...
I've posted this before and the story is that a University of Iowa law professor gave a lecture one night at Creighton. At the post lecture wine and cheese party, he propositioned two of my female classmates. We were all aghast. It was 1980 or 1981.

I was in the U of Illinois Ph.D. program at that time. There were three male professors (10% of the department faculty) sleeping with female grad students that everyone knew about. I knew all the parties involved. No one cared until one of the female grad students was inappropriately awarded a grant.

The shit hit the fan after I had graduated. One of the professors retired and married his student. Another (highly sought after) professor took a job at the U. of Michigan. The third one is still an Associate Prof with tenure. He was a reliable leftist weasel and did not get fired.

buwaya said...

"those of us who have come to realzie that Yale and Harvard are evil"

They are worse than evil. They are dangerous.
This is the root of the treason of your upper class.
This is where the teachers of teachers of teachers come from.
This is where your highest lawyers and judges come from.
This us where your corporate culture comes from.

Ok, its not just Harvard and Yale, but they are prominent in the group of your most elite universities, where your decadent, depraved leadership is created. They are all like Schloss Frankenstein in the movie, and you desperately need that torch-and-pitchfork mob to set things right.

Biff said...

Bob Boyd said..."I think Defund the Police is about moving Social Justice warriors/Studies majors from the campus into the police and court system and taking over the broader Justice system."

Note that the cities with most of the rioting seem to have prosecutors who don't prosecute.

Bay Area Guy said...

Don't send your kids to Yale! If they can get into Yale, they can get into plenty of other good places. Send them to an SEC school or the military.

Yancey Ward said...

If Yale believed he was guilty, he should have been fired. I will give you one guess on why Yale didn't fire him, and you really only need one.

Yancey Ward said...

Static Ping,

It is probably #1 with the the added point that they didn't fire him because he threaten to sue in federal court. That is why he gets the paid holiday- any lawsuit would have opened Yale up to discovery on the facts.

RMc said...

"Heavens, a YALE man...!" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCCCN-3NJiU

Birkel said...

The Leftist Collectivists are fighting total war.

The warnings were issued decades ago.
The warnings were ignored.

This is what Democratics are and have always been.

Amadeus 48 said...

What are the odds that Jed got Blasey-Forded? That the encouraging pat on the back from 2002 got turned into a groping incident by 2020? That the social greeting air kiss from 2012 turned into into a sexual assault? Did you read that nonsense that the mouth-breathers from Yale passed around about Kavanaugh? They didn't have anything, but they almost sank him.

I can only speculate about Rubenfeld, but I am skeptical.

readering said...

Going back decades?

He is 62, i assume the kids are out of HS. He should have retired and moved somewhere nice with his wife and taken up a new gig. Not like this academic year is going to be any fun.

Yancey Ward said...

"He is 62, i assume the kids are out of HS. He should have retired and moved somewhere nice with his wife and taken up a new gig. Not like this academic year is going to be any fun."

No fucking way this idea makes sense, Readering. No rational person wouldn't suck every single dime he could out of Yale, guilty or not.

Readering said...

I assume he qualifies for a fucking nice pension from the law school.

Unknown said...

Young college women with doe eyes. What man could resist? Glenn Reynolds?

MadTownGuy said...

He got a "Get Out of Yale" card.