Identity of Speakers
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Amy Wax
Faculty/Staff
OtherAmy Wax is the Robert Mundheim Professor of Law at the University of Pennsylvania
Resources
Additional Information
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Incident Nature:
Other
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Incident Political Orientation:
Right-of-spectrum -
Incident Responses:
Rally or Protests
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Incident Status:
No litigation
- Incident Protested
- Did not involve Speech Codes
Summary
Amy Wax is the Robert Mundheim Professor of Law at the University of Pennsylvania. In July 2019, Wax reportedly argued at the inaugural National Conservatism Conference that “our country will be better off with more whites and fewer nonwhites.” She also said that immigrants are too loud and responsible for an increase in “litter.”
In response to these remarks, more than 1,000 student groups and individuals affiliated with Penn signed a petition calling for Wax to be relieved of all teaching duties. Wax’s dean, Ted Ruger, condemned her remarks as espousing “a bigoted theory of white cultural and ethnic supremacy.” Ruger did not mention academic freedom, free expression, or otherwise defend Wax. Wax had already been removed from some of her teaching duties following comments she made in 2018 regarding the aptitude of black law students. In September, 2019, Penn Law’s student government held a town hall meeting to discuss “the Amy Wax situation,” at which Ruger agreed to “speak on issues regarding Amy Wax.” Wax herself was not invited to the meeting.
