U.S. law school puts faculty on leave after ‘lesser black woman’ comment

Ilya Shapiro criticised Biden’s move to name a black woman to Supreme Court

One of the U.S.’s most prestigious law schools, the Georgetown University Law Center in Washington DC, has put an incoming faculty member, Ilya Shapiro, on administrative leave, while his Twitter comments are investigated.

Mr. Shapiro, who was due to start work on Tuesday as a senior lecturer and the executive director of the school’s constitutional law centre, had said that U.S. President Joe Biden’s intention to appoint the first black woman to the Supreme Court would necessarily mean that a top-quality candidate was not being selected as a ‘lesser black woman’ would be chosen.

“Objectively best pick for Biden is Sri Srinivasan, who is solid prog & v smart [ solid, progressive and very smart],” Mr. Shapiro had tweeted on last Wednesday. “Even has identity politics benefit of being first Asian (Indian) American. But alas doesn’t fit into latest intersectionality hierarchy so we’ll get lesser black woman. Thank heaven for small favors? ” Mr. Shapiro wrote.