A lawyer attempted to force the creation of a men’s studies department based on the existence of the women’s studies department. Both judges who had the case before them denied the claims. So women’s studies departments are safe, at least with regard to any threat posed by a potential “men’s studies” department taking their thunder, or funding, away. However, the suit does raise the legitimate question of when the remaining “women’s studies” departments will recognize that a non-sex specific identifier would be a more effective title for an academic discipline. Gender Studies is both more accurate in describing the field of feminist and other inquiries on gender (related to men, women, and the many other sexes) and more inclusive.
NY Times coverage is here.
-Darren Rosenblum
So this lawyer sued Columbia University — a private institution — for violating the First Amendment by having a Women’s Studies department? Setting aside the inanity of his claim on the “merits” (sic), did he sleep through Con Law back in law school?