Yale students try to cancel classmate who sent edgy Constitution Day email

A Yale Law School student is facing calls for removal from his student government post after he sent an edgy email invite to a Constitution Day party.

As originally reported by the Washington Free Beacon, the student — identifying himself to the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education as Trent Colbert — sent an email to fellow law students inviting them to a Constitution Day party hosted by the school’s Federalist Society chapter. 

Colbert, who is Cherokee by descent, is also a member of the Native American Law Students Association. 

“This Friday at 7:30, we will be christening our very own (soon to be) world-renowned NALSA Trap House . . . by throwing a Constitution Day Bash in collaboration with FedSoc,” said the email. “Planned attractions include Popeye’s chicken, basic-bitch-American-themed snacks (like apple pie, etc).”

[RELATED: REPORT: Virtual learning during COVID strengthened cancel culture on college campuses]

Students began circulating the message in response to perceived racial stereotyping over the term “trap house” and reference to “Popeye’s chicken.” 

In leaked audio from a meeting with Yale Law School associate dean Ellen Cosgrove and diversity director Yaseen Eldik, Colbert is told that his affiliation with the Federalist Society was “very triggering” for students who “already feel” that the conservative group is “oppressive to certain communities.”

Yale Law School indicated that it has no plans to officially discipline Colbert. However, fellow student government representatives began pushing for Colbert’s ouster.

[RELATED: Penn State faculty cancels ‘male-centric’ ‘Junior’ and ‘Senior’ labels]

According to a form letter circulated among representatives, Colbert “refused to issue a formal and meaningful apology to our student body for deeply offensive speech that has particularly impacted classmates of color,” calling into question “his ability to serve as a neutral and trustworthy representative for students in our class.”

1/ THREAD. There is now a push to get Trent Colbert, the Yale Law School student who sent the “trap-house email,” removed as a 2L student representative.

Here’s the form letter the students who want him removed are circulating for signature. pic.twitter.com/fAcanfDR2J

— David Lat (@DavidLat) October 15, 2021

The letter also claims that Colbert’s decision to share the meeting audio with the media signals “he cannot be trusted with sensitive information that students may ask him to relay to the administration, to other students, or to internal and external constituents.”

Colbert told Campus Reform that while he’s not sure how the campaign began, he was informed by the university that some students have requested his removal as a student representative.

”I first heard about it in an email I received on September 23 from the Office of Student Affairs, which told me students had requested that I be “removed from service as a student representative and a member of the NALSA board,” Colbert said. 

Colbert also said that this represents a bigger issue than free speech.

”I think this is a broader issue than free speech, it is about administrators engaging in ideological discrimination and encouraging students to create that pressure at the school. People weren’t really going after me for an opinion, they were going after me for refusing to issue a public apology when one was demanded of me,” Colbert said.