First Amendment Lawyer Floyd Abrams Slams Georgetown Law For Suspending Lecturer Ilya Shapiro

Prominent First Amendment lawyer Floyd Abrams slammed Georgetown Law on Thursday over placing incoming official Ilya Shapiro on leave following comments he made about whom President Joe Biden should nominate to succeed Stephen Breyer on the Supreme Court.

Biden said he would fulfill his campaign pledge to nominate the first Black woman to the Supreme Court if there’s a vacancy. Shapiro tweeted on Jan. 26 that Sri Srinivasan, chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, would be the “best pick” for Biden.

“Objectively best pick for Biden is Sri Srinivasan, who is solid prog & v smart,” tweeted Shapiro. “Even has identity politics benefit of being first Asian (Indian) American. But alas doesn’t fit into latest intersectionality hierarchy so we’ll get lesser black woman. Thank heaven for small favors?”

Shapiro was set to become executive director of Georgetown Law’s Center for the Constitution and a senior lecturer on Tuesday when on Monday Georgetown University Law Center dean and executive vice president William Treanor announced Shapiro would be placed “on administrative leave, pending an investigation into whether he violated our policies and expectations on professional conduct, non-discrimination, and anti-harassment, the results of which will inform our next steps.”

On The Dan Abrams Show on SiriusXM on Thursday, Floyd Abrams, the father of Mediaite founder Dan Abrams, did not hold back in response to Shapiro being put on administrative leave.

This is a real, real attack on the First Amendment. I mean, it really is. I mean, the guy is objecting to one person being nominated rather than another person or for the limitations imposed by President Biden and saying, I’m going to appoint a black woman.

You know, other presidents have done it for other groups. But okay, you know, I can understand it’s not. It’s not crazy to raise a few eyebrows. But to suspend him and I’ll also add, I don’t know him, but this is a respected person. This is a serious person in the field, so too to go after him or for the university to think it was obliged or ought to suspend him, I think is just unacceptable.

Listen above.