A law school Dean who fully supports Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies is leading the race to become President of Yale. Heather Gerken is the favorite to replace the current President, Peter Salovey, who is due to step down at the end of this academic year.
Gerken has already demonstrated her “woke” credentials throughout her career and promoted “active anti-racism” on campus after the death of George Floyd in 2020. In an email to the entire student body, Gerken wrote that black colleagues had done “more than their fair share” in combating racism and pledged to appoint a “diversity specialist” in every office. She also promotes Critical Race Theory and believes it should be taught yearly.
Critical Race Theory (CRT) purports that all whites are oppressors and the United States is built on stolen land. Banned in more than a dozen states, CRT’s critics say it divides Americans and teaches hatred of individuals on the basis of their ethnicity. Cornell Law School professor William A. Jacobson described it as a “radical ideology” that challenges “rationalism, constitutional law, and legal reasoning.”
Some students reacted with dismay at the prospect of Heather Gerken’s promotion, with one saying she was the worst possible choice. The news of her possible ascension comes as Ivy League schools are under scrutiny for political bias, specifically against Jewish people and Israel.
Former Harvard President Claudine Gay eventually stepped down weeks after refusing to tell a Congressional hearing if calling for the genocide of Jews contravened Harvard policy. When Jewish students at Yale faced anti-Israel protests after the Hamas terror attack on October 7, Gerken remained silent except to ask her secretary to refer them for counseling.
Gerken’s chief of staff, Debra Kroszner, responded to a complaint by a Jewish student who had faced a personal attack, saying, “I understand these are deeply challenging times.”
Ms. Gerken also remained silent when conservative guest speaker Kristen Waggoner had her talk disrupted by 100s of students.
