Editorial: Request for Law Professor's Resignation Inappropriate

Law students called for a faculty member's resignation at the Boalt Hall commencement Saturday, a move that infringes on academic freedom.

They criticized his role in creating the current administration's policy exempting al-Qaeda detainees from the human rights protections established in the Geneva Convention.

But in demanding his resignation, these students are treading on the academic freedom and free speech UC Berkeley students and faculty strive to uphold.

Professor John Choon Yoo's interpretation of the Geneva Convention, which established international rules for the protection of prisoners of war, may be unpopular in Berkeley but the Boalt Hall students' demands are ludicrous.

They have asked that Yoo repudiate the recommendation he made to the U.S. Department of Justice while working for them, or resign from his position at Boalt.

Yoo determined that terrorists are not protected by the Geneva convention for several reasons.

These include their lack of a clear commander, the fact that they do not conform to the laws of war, and that they conceal weapons.

Yoo is a qualified member of the faculty and has no obligation to repudiate his actions or give up his position.

Expecting him to do either is a compromise of academic freedom. Berkeley should be a haven for free speech, not liberalism.

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