The University of Wisconsin Law School embraces equality and opposes discrimination in all its forms. That includes a commitment to providing equal opportunity to all people regardless of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. Employers who use our campus facilities, post jobs in our job bank, or participate in on-campus interviews or resume collections must not discriminate on these bases in their hiring practices.

Women’s Liberation Front has certified that it complies with our nondiscrimination policy and does not discriminate based on sex or gender identity in its hiring. We have no information to the contrary. However, this group also embraces positions contrary to the core values of this Law School, most notably its opposition to anti-discrimination protections based on gender identity. We strongly disagree with its position. But that disagreement does not justify excluding it from posting an employment position with us. To exclude an employer based on its ideology or expression – including positions taken in court – would constitute viewpoint discrimination contrary to the First Amendment. As a public institution, we have an obligation to refrain from all forms of legally prohibited discrimination, including viewpoint discrimination. 

Inclusion is a core value of UW Law. We welcome and embrace our transgender students, and will not tolerate discrimination based on gender identity or expression by any employer who lists with us. We must also refrain from discriminating against employers with different viewpoints, including ones we find noxious. Adherence to this constitutional obligation does not mean we support their views or litigation positions. To the contrary, UW Law School is emphatically committed to the principle of equal opportunity for all people, including freedom from discrimination on the basis of gender identity or expression.

Submitted by Law School News on May 12, 2021

This article appears in the categories: Features