Cornell is investigating a report that male, first-year Cornell Law School students ranked female first-year students on their appearance in a private group chat, according to an email from the school’s dean.

Dean Eduardo M. Peñalver ’94 on Oct. 5 said in an email to law students that Cornell’s Title IX Office is investigating the reported behavior. He said that “ranking women on their appearance is inherently degrading,” adding that it was “childish and unprofessional.”

Peñalver asked lawyering faculty, who teach first-year law students, and section instructors to talk to their students about the reported group chat and to tell students that, if true, “the behavior may well violate” the University’s Policy 6.4, which outlines discrimination, sexual harassment and other conduct prohibited by Cornell.

A Cornell spokesperson, John Carberry, said the University cannot comment on an active Title IX investigation.

In a statement to The Sun, Peñalver said “Cornell Law School is committed to providing all of our students with a welcoming and inclusive environment.”

“We have asked our students to support this effort, and are confident we will both sort through the facts in this situation and be able to work with the University to apply the appropriate remedies,” the dean wrote.

Peñalver urged students to use Cornell’s Bias Reporting System to report any information that could help the Title IX Office’s investigation.

Women comprise 52.5 percent of the law school’s first-year class, but Emily Szopinski, a second-year law student, said “it is clear that there is still a culture of sexism within this profession and our community that needs to be addressed.”

“Members of Cornell Law School will go on to be leaders in their communities and their profession,” said Szopinski, president of the Women’s Law Coalition at Cornell. “This type of behavior has concerning implications for the future positions of power that Cornell Law students have the potential to hold.”

Szopinski said she first learned of the report on Sept. 26 and that faculty members began discussing the report with students on Sept. 28.

Ryan Norton, a second-year law student, said it was good, but unusual, that Peñalver had acknowledged the reported behavior in a public email.

“Normally the law school administration handles things quietly,” Norton said. “The general consensus is that the relevant people can be punished without having to let everyone know about it.”

Norton also noted that students began learning of the incident in the same week that Palo Alto University Prof. Christine Blasey Ford testified that Brett Kavanaugh, now a Supreme Court justice, had sexually assaulted and tried to rape her at a party when they were both in high school.

Students’ reported behavior in the group chat is “utterly repugnant to the unified front the law school community has taken in that regard,” Norton said, pointing to an open letterin The New York Times that was signed by more than 2,400 law professors — including 19 at Cornell — urging the Senate not to confirm Kavanaugh.

“I think that these circumstances highlighted how awful it is that there was a group chat among Cornell Law students dedicated to demeaning women,” Norton said.

https://cornellsun.com/2018/10/11/cornell-investigating-first-year-law-students-reported-ranking-female-peers-by-appearance-in-private-group-chat/

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4105683&forum_id=2#37019539)

http://xoxohth.com/thread.php?thread_id=3762784&forum_id=2

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4105683&forum_id=2#37143383)

“I think that these circumstances highlighted how awful it is that there was a group chat among Cornell Law students dedicated to demeaning women,” Norton said.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4105683&forum_id=2#37019596)

Will these young men behave this way at firms? In government?

Also LOL: Members of Cornell Law School will go on to be leaders in their communities and their profession,”

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4105683&forum_id=2#37019619)

we can depend on boomers to start helping fend off this nonsense any minute now...

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4105683&forum_id=2#37019949)

Alternative Dispute Resolution Society

Presidents: Matthew Battaglia

American Constitution Society

President: Sarah Evans

Asian Pacific American Law Student Association

President: Jialin Yang

Black Law Students Association

President: Donna Hope

Briggs Society of International Law

President: Nicolas Kline

Business Law Society

President: Juliana Tobin and David Gross

CLS +1

President: TBD

California Law Students Association

President: Kevin Dong

Christian Legal Society

Administrative Chairs: Evita Nwosu-Sylvester

Cornell Association of Law and Economics

President: Angela Zhu

Cornell International Law Journal

Editor-in-Chief: Matthew Masaro

Cornell Journal of Law and Public Policy

Editor-in-Chief: Katie Van Bramer

Cornell Law Review

Editor-in-Chief: Beatriz Albornoz

Cornell Law Second Amendment Club

President: Kolby Boyd

Cornell Law Students Association

President: Kristina Hurley

CLSA Executive VP: David Dowling

Secretary: Julia Hollreiser

Cornell Law Veterans Association

President: Ushin Hong

Environmental Law Society

President: Katherine Rogers and Grace Brosofsky

Federalist Society

President: Kristen Dennis

Intellectual Property and Technology Association

President: Esthefania Rodriguez

International refugee Assistance Project (IRAP)

President: Danielle Rabie and Amanda Kurzydlowski

Jewish Law Students Association

President: Josh Traube

Lambda Law Association (LGBTQ)

Co-President: Alex Henning

Co-President: David Eichert

Latino American Law Students Association

President: Jennifer Chacon

Law Students for Reproductive Justice

President: Morgan Anastasio

Legal Information Institute Supreme Court Bulletin

Editor-in-Chief: Jared Ham

Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law

President: Russell Mendelson

LLM Association

President: Position elected fall 2018

Mock Trial Board

President: Nicole Ang

Moot Court Board

President: Rahul Krishnan

National Lawyers Guild

President: Arielle Wisbaum

National Security Law and Policy Society

President: Adrian Rabin

Native American Law Students Association

President: Julia Giffin

Public Interest Law Union

President: Ferdinand Suba Jr.

Society of Wine & Jurisprudence

President: Kimberly Lee

South Asian Law Students Association

President: Gurnaina Chawla

Spring Break Service Trip

President: Kwonsun Jung and Daniel Matos

Student Animal Legal Defense Fund

President: Grace Brosofsky

Student Leadership Council

Presidents: Gurnaina Chawla and Grace Brosofsky

Women of Color Collective

President: Ji Hyun Rhim

Women's Law Coalition

President: Emily Szopinski

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4105683&forum_id=2#37020109)

would

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4105683&forum_id=2#37020335)

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberly-lee-337b7593

Cohen & Steers

Legal Summer Associate

Cohen & Steers

June 2018 – Present 5 months

Greater New York City Area

Cornell University

Cornell University

1 year 5 months

Research Assistant, Department of Information Science

Cornell University

January 2017 – May 2017 5 months

Ithaca, New York Area

Research Assistant, Department of Psychology

Cornell University

January 2016 – May 2017 1 year 5 months

Ithaca, New York Area

Teaching Assistant

Cornell University

January 2016 – May 2017 1 year 5 months

Ithaca, New York Area

Environmental Psychology [Spring 2016]

Intermediate Web Design [Spring 2016, Spring 2017]

Introduction to Web Design [Fall 2016]

Information Ethics, Law, and Policy [Spring 2017]

Cornell University - College of Arts and Sciences

Peer Advisor

Cornell University - College of Arts and Sciences

May 2015 – May 2017 2 years 1 month

College of Arts & Sciences, Cornell University

Cornell Daily Sun

Senior Staff Writer

Cornell Daily Sun

September 2014 – May 2017 2 years 9 months

Ithaca, New York Area

Odyssey.

Staff Writer

Odyssey.

September 2015 – February 2016 6 months

Nationwide

Cornell School of Hotel Administration

Administrative Intern at Office of Executive Education

Cornell School of Hotel Administration

October 2014 – December 2015 1 year 3 months

Statler Hall, Cornell University

Justice

Brand Representative

Justice

July 2012 – December 2014 2 years 6 months

Smith Haven Mall, Lake Grove

Education

Cornell Law School

Cornell Law School

Doctor of Law - JD

2017 – 2020

Activities and Societies: Society of Wine & Jurisprudence, Cornell Cabaret

Cornell University

Cornell University

Bachelor’s Degree, Psychology, Information Science, French, Business

2013 – 2017

Activities and Societies: Alpha Xi Delta

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4105683&forum_id=2#37020160)

Legs spread wide open here

https://www.instagram.com/emszopinsk

Hey everyone, I'm Emily! I am 22 years old and I am from Buffalo, NY. I have lived in Pittsburgh for the last four years as I study political science and sociology at the University of Pittsburgh. In the fall, I will be attending Cornell University for law school where I hope to pursue a career in public interest law. I graduate from Pitt at the end of April and head out to start this great adventure just a few days later!

I have been active in a few Pittsburgh non-profits, including the Women’s Law Project and The Center for Women. My experience with these organizations have made me acutely aware of the need for affordable housing in the City of Pittsburgh. Working with The Center for Women has allowed me to work with and learn the stories of women who are recently divorced, separated, widowed, or find themselves in the midst of a life transition. Many of these women find themselves with serious housing concerns, often because of the lack of affordable housing in Pittsburgh. Through the Women’s Law Project, I learned about the effect of the housing crisis on Downtown Pittsburgh. Although the city is making an effort to build more affordable housing, they are largely ignoring the needs of extremely low income individuals. They have avoided building affordable housing for the lowest income individuals and have displaced low income individuals in favor of new projects (gentrification!) in the past few years. While Pittsburgh is usually considered an affordable city, it is lacking accessible housing for low income individuals in a number of areas. Learning about this crisis and working with individuals who are directly hurt by it has inspired me to make a difference in this cause. After law school, I know I want to work in public service, likely in public policy. I am eager to learn about how the housing crisis affects people around the country in different ways. I think the best way to learn how to improve the lives of others through policy and change is by understanding different perspectives.

With Bike & Build, I am excited to learn about the outlooks of my other teammates and those we meet along the way. While biking, I am looking forward to experiencing the different landscapes of the country--deserts, mountains, forests, suburbs and cities. I am especially excited to find some swimming holes, trails, and hidden gems in each town. Coming from a small town myself, I know that talking to locals can help to uncover the secrets of any place. I’m nervous to embark on this adventure on my own, but am excited to meet and work with a new cohort of people. Most of all, I am excited to experience the beauty of the country from the seat of my bike!

https://classic.bikeandbuild.org/rider/9396

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4105683&forum_id=2#37020149)

*leans into mic*

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4105683&forum_id=2#37023672)