Former Duke Law School professor Amy Chua embroiled in Yale Law “Party-gate Dinner” controversy

Amy Chua, former law professor at Duke Law School and current John M. Duff, Jr. law professor at Yale Law School, has been accused of inviting students and possibly federal judges to dinners at she last winter. .

In March, several law students reported that Chua hosted parties with food and alcohol at her home that winter, featuring captured text threads as evidence. While this would not normally be grounds for disciplinary action, students and faculty have been urged not to organize or attend indoor gatherings without masks due to the pandemic.

The situation was further complicated by the fact that Chua, who is widely known for her controversial memoir “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother”, pledged in 2019 to avoid drinking or socializing with students. His pledge followed allegations of heavy drinking and offensive comments.

However, Chua Express on her personal Twitter account on June 9 that she believed the terms of that deal ended in September 2020, when administrators asked her to teach a small group class. These courses, which consist of cohorts of 15 freshmen, are a hallmark of the Yale Law program and “practically [require] socialize with students, ”Chua wrote in a tweet.

Several days after students accused Chua of organizing maskless rallies during the pandemic, his name was removed from the list of professors who were to lead small groups in the 2021-2022 academic year.

Chua and the students who allegedly attended his dinners deny these allegations; instead, they say the students were invited to Chua’s home in groups of two or three, mainly for advice.

The New York Times reported that Chua admitted to telling students to keep quiet about dinners.

“” I told them all, ‘Don’t mention that,’ because everything I do I’m in trouble, ‘Chua said, according to The Times.

However, Chua maintains that she didn’t break any rules.

“There’s a lot in the past that I can say, ‘Oh, I probably spoke too recklessly’ or, ‘Maybe it was interpreted that way.’ This most recent thing – there’s no truth to it, ”she said in a recent interview with The Times.

The day after the Yale Daily News published an account of the charges against Chua and the disciplinary action taken against him by the administration, Chua wrote a letter which she circulated to Yale Law School and posted on her Twitter account, with a caption denying the allegations made against her.

“I didn’t violate any agreements, nor did I throw wild parties during COVID. Rather, what I did is comfort a small handful of students who contacted me in times of crisis… ”Chua wrote in the tweet.

Following the news and the dissemination of Chua’s letter, a number of students and alumni published letters defending or criticizing the professor.

A collection of letters supporting Chua, posted on her personal website, includes details of her tireless advocacy for students of color, the kindness and empathy she displays as a mentor, and her skills as an educator. On the other hand, a letter posted on Twitter attacked Chua for being dishonest about the nature of the events she organized and for trying to intimidate the students into not taking action against her.

Yale Law School administration has taken no further action regarding the situation, except for several general statements about faculty misconduct and COVID-19 policies. The story was picked up by national media including The Times, The Chronicle of Higher Education and Fox News, and debates around the situation continued.