A former law professor said the students who called him racist and tried to cancel his lecture on free speech aren't going to "cut it in the real world."
Ilya Shapiro, a former Georgetown University law professor, was invited by University of Denver law students with the Federalist Society to give his speech, "Silencing minorities: Free speech on campus," on March 7. But the Colorado college's chapter of the National Lawyers Guild attempted to cancel his speech and tweeted that the school administrators and police present during the lecture were making the campus "safe for racists" as students stood up for "anti-racism."
"It's not mere disagreement," Shapiro, who's now the director of constitutional studies at the Manhattan Institute, told Fox News. "It's saying that those who oppose them, those ideas aren't even valid, that they're threatening that they're indeed racist or discriminatory in some way."
"I have pretty thick skin," Shapiro said. "All these epithets … it makes them look ridiculous."
Last year, Georgetown placed Shapiro on leave after he criticized President Biden's pledge to choose a Black woman for the Supreme Court. He ultimately resigned from his post as the executive director of the university's Center for the Constitution in June 2022.
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"Whether you think my positions are reasonable or not, the way to oppose them is through advocacy," Shapiro told Fox News. "Feel free to protest. Feel free to have a counterargument."
"But just shouting epithets, that's just not gonna cut it in the real world," he added. "You're not gonna be an effective professional."
STANFORD LAW DEAN'S SHAMEFUL ATTACK ON FREE SPEECH MEANS THIS FOR THE EDUCATION MOB
Despite the National Lawyers Guild students' attempt to cancel his speech, Shapiro was able to deliver his lecture at the Denver law school. He said there were some protesters, but they were put in designated areas away from where he spoke.
"This is the illiberal radical mob that shuts down events, that doesn't value free speech, and due process and the fundamental truth seeking mission of the university," Shapiro said. The legal scholar added that he supported the right to protest, but not disrupt or shut down events.
Shapiro said he will continue to speak at law schools across the country and share his views to promote free speech.
To watch Shapiro's full interview, click here.
