Affirmative Action, Hate Speech, and Tenure: Narratives About Race and Law in the Academy

Uniquely positioned as both a scholar and an attorney, Benjamin Baez studies some of the most controversial legal cases effecting education today. He specifically analyzes the legal issues and literature surrounding three seemingly different practices in the academy: affirmative action in college admissions and employment, hate speech and censorship, and promotion and tenure decisions. Although colleges and universities are increasingly trying to diversify their faculty and student body, in their actual practices, they have continued to adhere to traditional academic values. This glaring disparity between professed beliefs and actual practice has there by set the stage for legal challenges from individuals from traditionally excluded groups. With his unusual perspective, Baez provides a thought-provoking exploration on the current debate surrounding race and academic institutions.