Dean's Note - Societal Change

Some commentators have described the year 2020 as a combination of 1918 (The Great Flu), 1929 (The Great Depression) and 1968 (Civil Unrest). So far, this year, we have experienced fundamental societal change. The COVID-19 Pandemic has changed our work experience from an office environment to one that is online. The Pandemic and the earlier stay-at-home orders have caused economic dislocation and high unemployment rates. The tragic death of George Floyd and so many other African American men and women while in the custody of law enforcement has led to street protests and heightened awareness of the persistence of racial discrimination.

The U.S. Supreme Court has also brought about important and necessary societal change when it ruled that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects individuals from being discriminated against on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. And the Supreme Court has also ruled that it was unlawful to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which protects an estimated 700,000 immigrants without citizenship or resident status from being deported.

Amid all these societal forces, UH Law Center has had to face racist hate speech when a social media post from nine years ago surfaced in which a current law school student used racially derogatory language before she was enrolled at the Law Center. At that time, our law school student used the N-word laced with profanities and directed as a slur against a young woman of African descent who is not one of our students. Most reasonable observers would be appalled by the language. On June 15, 2020, the Law Center issued a statement condemning the language and finding it reprehensible. The law student has posted a public apology for her prior statements stating: “I take full responsibility for my actions and the pain I caused her and others who have seen the hideous and offensive message from that time.”

Unfortunately, UH Law Center is not isolated from random acts of racism. We are a microcosm of the world in which we live. Most importantly we cannot ignore these acts. But as a public institution, we have to balance First Amendment rights, channel the legitimate public outrage over the racist comments, but chart a way forward within that construct to achieve healing and peace. Some have advocated that we expel the student. But the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution is very clear, we all have the right to freedom of speech and even hate speech in this case which occurred many years before the student was enrolled is legally protected. We can condemn the language, but more importantly as an academic institution that prides itself on diversity, it is important to use this situation as a teaching moment.

Recently, our community, most notably, law students, faculty, staff, and alumni have weighed in on the topic of racial inequality and racial justice. We as an institution welcome these conversations. It is important for members of our community to tell their truths, but not to become prisoners of the past. It is important for us to forgive when that forgiveness is justified. To this end, we are starting this process by holding a series of events and dialogues with different groups over the next few weeks.

•	On June 18, 2020, we held a Juneteenth Town Hall: Racism and What To Do About It.
•	On June 22, 2020, we held a meeting with the executive boards of our African American, Latinx, Asian American, and LGBTQ student organizations.
•	On June 23, 2020, we held a UH Law Center Town Hall to discuss issues of racism and racial justice with the entire Law Center Community.
•	On July 1, 2020, we will hold a Latinx Alumni event featuring our newest Latinx faculty members.
•	We are in the midst of planning additional events this summer.

I am also pleased to announce the following action plan as the Law Center recommits to make our community an even more diverse and inclusive place to learn and work.

1.	We have provided a website forum on our homepage for leaders in our community to express themselves on issues related to racial justice and #BlackLivesMatter.
2.	I will meet monthly with the President’s Roundtable of student leaders to discuss issues and concerns and to plan a diversity and inclusion initiative for the 2020-21 academic year.
3.	All incoming law students will receive diversity and inclusion training with the goal to extend that training to all students.
4.	We will continue to hold diversity and inclusion training workshops for law faculty and staff.
5.	Our Law Center Diversity and Inclusion committee will work to schedule additional workshops during the upcoming academic year that will be open to the Law Center community.
6.	We will continue with our Stand Against Hate video campaigns which showcase and unite us as one community. Watch our latest video here.
7.	My team and I welcome you to Share Your Thoughts on what you would like to see at the Law Center. We are listening.

Diversity and inclusion have been and will continue to be an important pillar of my administration. By working together, we can eliminate the scourge of racial hate and other forms of discrimination. I continue to welcome your input and suggestions as we work toward equality together.