Law students still work to cancel retired professor who cited Supreme Court case with n-word

The Black Law Student Association at Wake Forest University School of Law had lodged a complaint over a renown professor emeritus taking part in a recent campus law symposium because when he actively taught at the school he cited a Supreme Court case with the n-word.

The complaint comes as Wake Forest Law is roiled by racial tensions, with the Black Law Student Association calling for “culturally sensitive and inclusive” classrooms.

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As for the law symposium controversy, it centers on Michael Curtis, a highly respected constitutional historian who taught at the school since 1994. He retired in December 2020, but took part late last month in the “Preserving American Democracy” symposium.

Prior to his retirement, in March 2020, Curtis was rebuked by Wake Forest University Law Dean Jane Aiken for reading aloud some footnotes, which include the n-word, from the seminal free speech Supreme Court case of Brandenburg v. Ohio during his constitutional law class.

“Confronting America’s discriminatory past through case law can be challenging enough without hearing your professor read that word aloud in a class,” Aiken said at the time. “… I want to reaffirm my commitment to your learning in a diverse, inclusive, and equitable learning environment.”