Abolishing Qualified Immunity Is Unlikely to Alter Police Behavior

In the end, the best argument for eliminating qualified immunity is less about deterrence and more about symbolism. Qualified immunity routinely requires courts to say that there will be no penalty for a police officer who has violated the Constitution. That is the wrong message.

When the conspiracy is real

Umbrella Man. Outside agitators. Agents provocateur. As protests sparked by the killing of George Floyd continue, conspiracy theories and “false flag” charges have flown fast and furious. But sometimes the conspiracy is real. In “F.B. Eyes: How J. Edgar Hoover’s Ghostreaders Framed African American Literature” (2015), William J. Maxwell, professor of English in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, details a decades-long harassment campaign waged against prominent African American writers and activists.

Danforth Campus fall planning town halls this week

The university’s Fall Planning Committee invites the Danforth Campus community to attend a series of town hall webinars this week to learn more about the university’s planning process for the fall semester and to ask questions and share feedback.

Gemmell awarded NSF-sponsored industry internship

Erin Gemmell
Erin Gemmell, a PhD candidate working with Timothy Wencewicz, associate professor in chemistry in Arts & Sciences, was awarded a National Science Foundation-sponsored industry internship for summer 2020.

Learning Lodge provides free virtual tutoring

The school year has ended, but Learning Lodge, a free online tutoring service founded by Washington University in St. Louis students, continues to help local elementary and middle school students practice math, social studies, even the bassoon.

Electrically charged dust storms drive Martian chlorine cycle

New research from Washington University in St. Louis planetary scientists shows that Martian dust storms, like the one that eventually shut down the Opportunity rover, drive the cycle of chlorine from surface to atmosphere and may shed light on the potential for finding life on Mars.

It’s time for change

Washington University Medical Campus employees show support for the Black Lives Matter protesters.
Three esteemed Arts & Sciences faculty members discuss the social movement against police brutality taking place across the nation and the world, and its implications for teaching, research and higher education.