Justice Scalia law school renamed after embarrassing acronym
A law school recently named after late Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia has been forced to re-change the name over an embarrassment.
The George Mason University last week announced that it would be changing its name to honour the late justice, who was known for his anti-gay opinions.
But the chosen name, the ‘Antonin Scalia School of Law’, was quickly pointed out for its slightly comical acronyms.
Social media pounced on the idea of calling the school ‘ASSLAW’ or ‘ASSoL’.
The Arlington Virginia school decided to change its name after receiving $30 million in donations.
But now the school has decided to re-change the name, in order to avoid the jokes, probably to the disappointment of Twitter users.
The school will now be called the Antonin Scalia Law School (ASLS).
“The name initially announced,” Dean Henry Butler wrote to alumni, “has caused some acronym controversy on social media. The Antonin Scalia Law School is a logical substitute. We anticipate the naming will be effective on July 1, 2016 pending final approval by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia.”
Some have already pointed out that ASLS, if said in a certain way, is still slightly comical.
Ultra-conservative Justice Scalia, who was a strong opponent of gay rights, passed away earlier this year from a heart attack.
Across his long career, the justice has dissented against LGBT equality on nearly every issue – from the court decision throwing out sodomy laws, to the one bringing equal marriage. He also openly compared the rights of gay people to paedophiles and incestuous couples, and was known for his blistering dissents.
However, he was also renowned for his unlikely friendship with uber-liberal justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, with whom he served (and frequently clashed) for nearly three decades, and who paid an emotional tribute to the justice.
Ginsburg has long supported equality, and attracted fury from conservatives for performing same-sex weddings herself ahead of last year’s court ruling.
