Justice Thomas no longer teaching courses at George Washington following Roe backlash

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas will no longer teach a constitutional law course he’s taught since 2011 at George Washington University (GWU) following his vote to overturn Roe v. Wade and subsequent calls for his removal from the school.

According to a university spokesperson, Thomas made the decision to pull out of the course.

“Justice Thomas informed GW Law that he is unavailable to co-teach a Constitutional Law Seminar this fall. The students were promptly informed of Justice Thomas’ decision by his co-instructor who will continue to offer the seminar this fall,” the spokesperson told The Hill in a statement Wednesday.

Last month, school officials reportedly rejected a petition with more than 11,000 signatures seeking to unseat Thomas from his professorial lecturer position, but an email obtained by the GWU student paper, The Hatchet, later said Thomas will be unavailable to teach the course.

Thomas is also no longer a listed lecturer in the GW Law School course catalog.

The Hill has reached out for comment from Thomas and Gregory Maggs, who has co-taught the course with Thomas since it started.

The justice has come under fire following his role in the 5-4 decision to overturn the right to abortion established in Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey.

Thomas noted in his concurring opinion on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization that the court should also reexamine precedent protecting the rights to contraception and same-sex marriage.

Lawmakers have been scrambling in the wake of that opinion to protect marriage equality, and a House vote was called last week to try to protect contraception. 

Thomas is also under scrutiny for the actions of his wife, Ginni Thomas, who attended the pro-Trump “Stop the Steal” rally just before rioters stormed the capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and communicated with former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and Trump attorney John Eastman about overturning the 2020 presidential election results. 

Members of the House select committee investigating Jan. 6 riots have said Ginni Thomas may be called to testify.

Updated at 5:05 p.m.