Response to Law Center Incident
March 12, 2021
Dear Members of the Georgetown University Community:
This week, our Law Center became aware of a video recording of class proceedings that captured a deeply disturbing conversation regarding academic evaluation of Black students between the adjunct faculty instructors of the course. As the Dean of our Law Center, William Treanor, shared in two messages to our Law Center community, an investigation was promptly launched by our Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity and Affirmative Action (IDEAA). One of these faculty members is no longer affiliated with Georgetown University and the second faculty member was placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of IDEAA’s investigation. As Dean Treanor shared yesterday, the Law Center will be taking further actions to address the issues reflected in this painful incident.
Dean Treanor’s decisive actions were essential and consistent with the ethos and ideals we strive to sustain at Georgetown. Our University community is deeply committed to the wellbeing of our students and to creating a place where all members of our community can flourish. As educators, our first commitment is to our students—their safety and wellbeing—and to fostering an environment where they can learn and do their best work. There is no place for racism or bias in the classroom nor in the experiences of our community, and we have a responsibility to ensure that when we learn of any incidents of concern, swift and appropriate action is taken.
There is no more important aspect of our work than to create and sustain a culture of belonging, inclusion, and respect, and there is more work we must do to strengthen our community.
Sincerely,
John J. DeGioia