Look At This Crap: Law Students Are Ranking Female Classmates Based On Their Attractiveness
There's no amount of 'boys will be boys'ing that changes how messed up this is.
Hey, law students! Here’s a tip: don’t create a ranking of your female classmates based on your own f*cked-up perceptions of what’s attractive.
It’s a juvenile, bullsh*t move. There’s no amount of “boys will be boys”ing that changes this fundamental fact. And you’d really think that by the time you get to law school, with the student body being grown-ups (allegedly), these kind of shenanigans would be over. Unfortunately, that’s not true.
In a section of 1Ls at St. John’s University School of Law, some students were overheard discussing their attractiveness ratings. In response, Dean Michael Simons, Associate Dean for Administration Sarah Kelly, and Assistant Dean for Students Kimathi Gordon-Somers met with the section in question and Dean Simons sent out an email to all 1Ls condemning the rankings in some pretty strong terms:
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The conduct [ranking classmates based on looks] is distressing for a number of reasons: it is sexist, unprofessional, and juvenile. It is flatly contrary to the values of the legal profession and the standard of conduct that we expect from aspiring lawyers. It is also contrary to the oath that our students take at Convocation to conduct themselves with “dignity and civility” and to “show kindness and respect towards all.” Make no mistake: “ranking” women in this way is not harmless fun. By objectifying women, it fuels a culture that far too often leads to sexual harassment and sexual violence. For that reason, it is unequivocally wrong and has no place in the St. John’s Law community.
The school also opened up a Title IX investigation into the incident.
Over the weekend, the Dean sent out a follow-up email, this time announcing an event “The Rankings that Matter: A Conversation about Women in the Law” held in conjunction with the St. John’s Women’s Law Society, giving all students an opportunity to discuss the incident as well as the bigger picture issues such a boorish ranking implicates: unprofessional conduct in the workplace. The school is also making counselors available to students to discuss this issue (as well as the issues surrounding the Kavanaugh hearings). Additionally, all 1Ls will have a session of class time on gender equity in the legal profession and Title IX.
We reached out to the law school, but they said they cannot comment on ongoing Title IX investigations.
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These students probably thought they were having a laugh at the expense of classmates they thought were less important than themselves. Perhaps in the moment it seemed worth it, but they’ve left a black eye on the school. They never thought about (or did but just didn’t care) the way their actions impacted anyone but themselves. Given the callousness of their students, the school is dealing with it the best that they can. Hopefully, all the attention the school is paying to the issue will teach the students why their actions were so problematic.
Read the two emails sent to the students on the next page.
Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, and host of The Jabot podcast. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter (@Kathryn1).
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