March 2, 2012: University Officials Defend Law Student against Attacks from Conservative Talk Show Host

Georgetown University officials come to the defense of Georgetown University law student Sandra Fluke, who testified in opposition to a House amendment that would have allowed health care providers to deny contraceptive coverage and other health care necessities if they had religious or moral objections (see March 1, 2012) and is now being vilified by conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh (see February 29, 2012, March 1, 2012, and March 2, 2012). John DeGioia, president of Georgetown, sends a letter to faculty and students praising Fluke’s testimony. “She was respectful, sincere, and spoke with conviction,” he writes. “She provided a model of civil discourse. This expression of conscience was in the tradition of the deepest values we share as a people.” As for Limbaugh’s comments, they, DeGioia writes, “can only be described as misogynistic, vitriolic, and a misrepresentation of the position of our student.” One hundred and thirty-seven professors and staff members have signed a letter of support for Fluke, which reads in part, “As scholars and teachers who aim to train public-spirited lawyers, no matter what their politics, to engage intelligently and meaningfully with the world, we abhor these attacks on Ms. Fluke and applaud her strength and grace in the face of them.” [Huffington Post, 3/2/2012]