Nikolai Morse '24
Managing Editor
Pictured: The Homer statue.
Amidst criticism of the Law School Administration’s silence following an unidentified individual hanging a noose around the neck of the Homer statue,[1] which has been designated a hate crime[2] by the University Police,[3] Dean Risa Goluboff spoke to students at the Student Bar Association’s first meeting of the year. The focus of the conversation was both on the hate crime itself and the Law School Administration’s response to it. SBA President Juhi Desai ’23 opened the meeting, noting the circumstances of the recent hate crime and encouraging questions and dialogue with the members of the Law School Administration present, including Dean Goluboff, Vice Dean Michael Gilbert, Assistant Dean for Student Affairs Sarah Davies ’91, and Assistant Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Belonging Mark Jefferson. Desai ended by posing Goluboff a question she noted was on many people’s minds: Why it had taken until now for the Administration to issue a public statement regarding the incident?
Dean Goluboff, who, earlier in the day, had sent the Law School community an email inviting them to attend the SBA meeting and speak with her regarding the hate crime, began by acknowledging the hate crime and the clear symbol of racial violence conjured by the noose. She noted the noose’s connection to lynching, and that nooses are most closely associated with terrorizing Black Americans and other minorities. Dean Goluboff condemned the act, stating “This hate crime is inimical to our values as a law school and a community. I condemn it in no uncertain terms.” She then noted that “because of its history, [the noose] does not impact everyone equally and impacts our Black students particularly.” Its disparate impact notwithstanding, Dean Goluboff said she viewed acts which threatened anyone in our community as a threat to all of us. Rejecting the message of intimidation and exclusion inherent in the hate crime, Dean Goluboff emphasized that “Every person in this room and school has earned their place here and belongs here. I value you, we all value you, and I cannot say how glad I am that all of you are here.”
Responding to the question posed by Desai, Dean Goluboff first pointed to the statement issued by UVA President Jim Ryan ’92 via email, on September 8th, the day following the discovery of the noose on the Homer statue. Noting that in addition to being her boss, Dean Goluboff said that Jim Ryan is a friend and colleague who shares her values, and she considered him to be speaking for her and the entire university community. Speaking about public statements more generally, Dean Goluboff listed several reasons supporting her default policy of not issuing public statements. First, she noted that, given the prevalence and frequency of tragedies and injustices in our world, if she started making statements, she feared that she would not be able to stop. Further, Dean Goluboff argued that if she issued statements selectively, she worried that “picking and choosing causes to make a statement about may hurt the ultimate purpose of making statements, as I see it: to increase a sense of belonging.” Dean Goluboff said she did not feel this was the best way for her to have an impact or lead the Law School. Dean Goluboff ended by saying she believes there are additional, potentially more constructive ways to continue this conversation and implement action at the Law School and in the Charlottesville community. Specifically, she pointed to her email inviting students to join more intimate follow-up conversations, a dinner with the Black Law Student Association 1L’s earlier in the semester, discussions with UVA BLSA Leadership,[4] and conversations in the last two weeks with 1Ls at section breakfasts.
Following Dean Goluboff’s statement, she took questions from representatives of the UVA Black Law Student Association and other students. Responding to the Dean’s rationale for not issuing statements, one student noted that President Ryan’s statement “does not speak to law students because we do not know President Ryan–you are our leader and statements coming from you mean more to us than statements by President Ryan.” The student continued, “Additionally, while there are many worthy causes in the world, this event occurred in Charlottesville, on our Grounds. Charlottesville has a violent history against Black individuals, and incidents like this, particularly without acknowledgement, push minority students away. The minority community at the Law School cannot grow without active effort to quash racism in the Charlottesville community.”[5] Another student acknowledged Dean Goluboff’s rationale, while pointing out its unintended consequences, saying “I understand your intent, but the impact feels as if you do not care. The silence from others in positions of power in this Law School speaks volumes.”[6]
Other students were at times openly critical and angry with what they saw as a lack of care shown by the administration following the incident. One student said “I’m very angry, for two reasons. One, your response . . . about why you are here. You and everyone is here because BLSA dragged everyone here. Black students did the labor that got everyone here and I don’t want you to erase that. Two, the bigger issue about this is the lack of care. Did any of the black students here get an email from anyone? No. In my class alone there are two black students who left UVA because they did not feel safe or welcome here. Thank you for your apologies, but what is your practice going forward about how you will take care of black students?”[7]
Asked if she would issue a statement the next time a similar hate crime occurred on UVA’s Grounds, Dean Goluboff said she “would definitely think about it.” Amidst laughter and groans, she acknowledged that this was likely unsatisfying but reiterated that she tried to be thoughtful about her communications and actions, and that she appreciated and sincerely intended to consider everyone’s feedback.
Some students expressed frustration with what they saw as the recurring nature of student dissatisfaction with administration responses to incidents affecting students of color and other minority groups. A 3L SBA senator noted that this kind of conversation and apology had been heard multiples times before in their time at the Law School, but perhaps more concerning than the administration making or not making statements is the continued tolerance of an inscription honoring a white supremacist who fought for the Confederacy on the floor outside of the Law Library, despite the recent renovations at the Law School over the summer.[8] Dean Goluboff responded that while she had not previously been aware of this, she has since reached out to the people in charge of building construction and the seal is slated for removal. She also pointed out that UVA Law has a new portrait of Elaine Jones, our first black female student, and that is a statement as well.
Other students asked about the administration’s plans to invest in staff to support diverse students and particularly to ensure their safety. In response, Dean Goluboff stated that she was in conversations regarding hiring another person to work with Dean Jefferson. Regarding safety, the Dean said she was speaking with the Darden Dean and VP of Student Affairs on Main Grounds regarding the bus lines and safety of students returning to places off-Grounds where students live in Charlottesville. Stating that she understood the feeling of safety is a larger issue, Dean Goluboff encouraged students to bring ideas to her on how physical and emotional safety can be improved.
At the meeting’s close, BLSA President, Keegan Hudson ’23, called on everyone in attendance at the meeting to think of ways to make the law school community more inclusive, noting that many Black students do not feel welcome or comfortable at SBA events, or even in the halls of the Law School. Desai concurred with Hudson’s statement, noting that while she had heard from many people who were concerned, this concern was not reflected by the number of people in attendance at the meeting, who were primarily members of BLSA and SBA. Desai further acknowledged that she had received feedback that many SBA events, such as Bar Review, were not felt to be inclusive, and that SBA was working on more inclusive programming.
Additionally, Desai proposed two specific events. First, she proposed a Community Chat, consisting of an open forum similar to the discussion as well as the question and answer session at this meeting, after which SBA could issue a letter summarizing the discussion. Second, Desai proposed a Dean’s Discussion, in which the SBA could moderate a discussion between the Deans present at this meeting, which may be held in Caplin Auditorium, allowing a significant portion of the student body to hear directly from the administration.
Commenting on the SBA meeting and steps moving forward, Dean Goluboff stated “I appreciate the SBA for hosting this important discussion, and I appreciate all the students who attended. I learned a lot from the thoughtful questions and comments. I hope students will sign up for the follow-up meetings I announced in my email, and I look forward to continuing the conversation.”
BLSA issued the following statement:
“The Black Law Students Association would like to thank Dean Goluboff for opening up the SBA meeting to discuss the administration’s response to the noose incident. Unfortunately, we left the meeting largely unsatisfied. We hoped to have a more concrete idea of how the administration will respond differently to future acts of racism on our campus, especially ones as repugnant as a noose at an educational institution an hour away from the former capital of the Confederacy. We challenge the administration to present a tangible plan on how the protocol and responsiveness of the Law School will change going forward. Lastly, we are also disappointed by the lack of action and mobilization from the larger student body, particularly from organizations that have overlapping membership with BLSA. We are of the belief that this is not just a Black issue but rather a schoolwide issue. To that end, we would like to strongly encourage the student body to attend the community conversations Dean Goluboff will be holding on Tuesday, Sept. 27 10:00-11:00am, Tuesday, Sept. 27 2:00-3:00pm, and Thursday, Sept. 29 9:30-10:30am. In the meantime, we look forward to helping our community heal and to working together with the Law School administration on addressing this matter.”
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cpg9jy@virginia.edu
[1] The Homer statue is located at the southern end of the Lawn on UVA’s Main Grounds. Its location makes it among the most prominent and central statues on Main Grounds.
[2] A noose is a recognizable symbol of violence closely associated with the lynching of Black individuals. Leaving a noose on public property is a Class 6 Felony under Virginia state law.
[3] Per the latest update provided by the University Police Department, the UPD is working with the local Federal Bureau of Investigation to enhance the video of the incident and develop more information to identify and apprehend the subject. The UPD has released photos of the suspect and his vehicle and offered a $2,000 reward for any individual who has information helpful in solving the crime.
[4] Dean Goluboff specifically referenced conversations with UVA Black Law Students Association President Keegan Hudson ’24 and Social Action Chair Tommy Cerja ’24.
[5] This quote is taken from the SBA Meeting Minutes for the Tuesday, September 22, 2022 meeting. The minutes are available in the weekly SBA email sent by SBA Secretary Grace Stevens (ggs2tq@virginia.edu) and substantiated by notes taken by Nikolai Morse ’24 while in attendance.
[6] This quote is taken from the SBA Meeting Minutes and substantiated by notes taken by Nikolai Morse while in attendance.
[7] This quote is taken from the SBA Meeting Minutes and substantiated by notes taken by Nikolai Morse while in attendance.
[8] On the seal on the floor outside the main entrance to the library, there is an inscription in memoriam to Henry Malcom Withers, a Confederate soldier who studied at UVA Law from 1868-1870. The Law School Board of Visitors previously approved the removal of Withers’ name from Brown Hall.