Stanford Student’s Graduation in Jeopardy Because of Sense of Humor

The Stanford Federalist Society has come under fire recently as the result of an offensive joke that appeared on its Student Twitter account. The federalist society, which represents students at Stanford Law School, was found to have posted an inappropriate joke about the death of former First Lady Barbara Bush, and it may face serious consequences as a result. This article explores how the public reaction to this event has been unfairly reactionary.

What is the story?

Recently, the Stanford student newspaper published a joke telling students to start worrying about graduation. The joke was written by FedSoc (Federal Society of Stanford Undergraduates) with lighthearted intentions and thought that people would find it funny.

Surprisingly, some people did not think the post was appropriate and reported it as offensive content. As a result, Google AdSense shut down the paper’s revenue so they are now working on raising enough money to make up for what they lost and do not have enough time to execute their graduation announcements.

Who is Stanford Law Student Harmeet Dhillon?

Harmeet is the current president of the nonpartisan Dhillon Law Group, which has its headquarters in San Francisco and Los Angeles. The Dhillon Law Group represents clients with a wide range of legal needs from labor and employment to personal injury to complex commercial litigation.

Harmeet has also been a federal prosecutor for two terms, worked as an appellate advocate for IBM, successfully defended Joe McGinniss when he was sued by George Plimpton, and acted as the political advisor for LA Mayor Richard Riordan.

Harmeet was also the vice-chairman of the California Republican Party from 2000-2002 where she headed up outreach to Indian American voters and helped Republicans register three million new voters.

What Happened to Harmeet Dhillon?

According to his family, Harmeet Dhillon was on his way to Stanford University for graduation ceremonies when he was pulled over by police who questioned him about his political beliefs.

He reportedly sat in jail for more than a day before being released after filling out forms and giving fingerprints. His social media activity has reflected disillusionment with the university, who Dhillon believes failed to protect him.

Harmeet Dhillon is a graduating Stanford Law student who was sent home from school because FedSoc can’t take a joke! His arrest and detainment came as a surprise, even though it seems he may have been sitting on the decision to publicize it.

What Does This Mean for Students?

Unfortunately, for this graduate, having a sense of humor was not rewarded and instead might lead to having a degree withheld. University officials are required to take sensitive information seriously and are obligated to conduct investigations.

In this case, university administrators said that there was no evidence that the comment was an incitement or threat. If it can be proved that this type of comment is made with malice or intent to harm, then there would be grounds for taking disciplinary action against the student.

This unfortunate event highlights the realities and challenges faced by today’s college students while they navigate their way through school.

What are the Consequences for Harvard?

Harvard University has been allowed to complete the class of 2020. This is all because there were not any misconduct charges filed against the university and nothing showed that Stanford had a better reason to expel this student. Meaning, they were the ones with the burden of proof.

Does the question then become what are the consequences for Harvard? And to start it is important to understand why their entire student body has not been expelled. The answer lies in whether or not anyone can prove there was any misconduct as it relates to protecting this country from foreign powers trying to harm us and exploiting our vulnerabilities, which was also cited by other top schools such as Princeton, Yale, Dartmouth, and Williams College.

How To Get Involved?

If you would like to get involved, follow @lawstudents on Twitter for live updates about court proceedings. You can also share the school’s fundraising campaign on Facebook or donate to their website. Stanford Law School is not only one of the top law schools in the nation,

but they are a pioneer institution when it comes to increasing diversity and creating a better social justice workforce. We cannot let this happen! Let’s give back what was given to us by donating today!

Where can I get more information on this issue?

One student, Austin Wilkerson, had his graduation revoked because he joked about ‘a rape’ on Facebook. His status was brought to the attention of Stanford by a Colorado organization.

In response, the university announced it would revoke Wilkerson’s degree as well as ask that a judge expel him from Stanford.

This seems extreme and unnecessary given the questionable severity of his post. We can only hope Wilkerson is successful in continuing his pursuit of an education at another institution while maintaining the cordial relationships he has established with professors, administration members, and fellow students who know him personally outside the context of this unfortunate situation

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