Law school’s social media language ‘can mean anything,’ UW grad says

The University of Washington’s Law School has social media best practices that at least one graduating student deems particularly ironic.

Justin Brascher, a campus correspondent for Campus Reform, told KIRO Radio’s Dori Monson Show that his article explored one line in particular: “Do not post anything that could be viewed as discriminating in any way regarding race, ethnicity, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, physical/mental disabilities.”

Brascher said part of the problem is that the rules are written so vaguely.

“What’s interesting is we’re at the law school,” he told Dori. “I just graduated from the law school. We have lawyers that work at the school. We know that language this vague and this broad can mean anything. It really surprised me when I first saw just how broad this was.”

Dori pointed out that if we make the most sensitive people the arbiters of speech, then none of us are going to be allowed to say anything.

“There are people who get offended if you say the Kentucky Fried Chicken sandwich is the best,” he said.

Brascher said the challenge is when there are vague rules and then students are taught to be upset by every microaggression.

“Then, once a student is upset, and they feel like they’ve been discriminated against or harassed, then you can stifle any speech you don’t like and it looks like you’re the good guy,” Brascher said.

Brascher has spent seven years at the University of Washington, with four years of undergraduate work before law school. He says there’s a palatable hatred, almost righteous anger against anything that doesn’t conform to the hyper-Left woke ideologies referenced today. He said, as a conservative or moderate, you almost have to have a survivalist mentality on campus.

“If I made a pro-capitalist social media post, by simply saying, ‘I think that we don’t need taxes to be as high,’ someone could say you’re discriminating against minorities with that statement because of how we think the tax policy should be, or we think capitalism is evil and the root of all this,” Brascher said. “And bam, I’ve discriminated or harassed somebody.”

He added that he thinks it’s particularly ironic coming from a law school where they’re taught that the core tenant of the legal system is that there are two sides.

Brascher said he plans to work for the Freedom Foundation in a couple months after he passes the bar exam.

Listen to the Dori Monson Show weekday afternoons from noon – 3 p.m. on KIRO Radio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.