Woke critics can't stand that actor Johnny Depp won a near-total victory in his defamation lawsuit against his ex-wife, Amber Heard, who accused him of domestic abuse—so much so that they're taking aim at those associated with the legal win.
Enter attorney Yarelyn Mena, a 2015 Hunter College graduate, third-year associate, and daughter of immigrants. At 29, she was the youngest lawyer on Depp's legal team. What she accomplished with such a high-profile case at her age should be celebrated—and initially was by the City University of New York in an article about Mena.
After the mob disapproved, however, CUNY pulled the piece and issued a statement.
"We appreciate everyone who shared their concerns about a CUNY blog post shared in our newsletter featuring a recent graduate who worked on Johnny Depp's legal team," the statement said. "We understand the strong negative emotions this post elicited from members of the CUNY community, particularly survivors of domestic violence and those who have been affected by it, and apologize for publishing it. We have removed it from our CUNYverse blog to avoid upsetting others or triggering traumatic experiences. The piece and especially the insensitive way it was promoted in the newsletter was not meant to convey support for Mr. Depp, implicitly or otherwise, or to call into question any allegations that were made by Amber Heard. Domestic violence is a serious issue in our society and we regret any pain this post may have caused."
The move was blasted by CUNY Brooklyn professor KC Johnson, among others.
One line of the institution's groveling apology could even be read as casting doubt on the jury's verdict in the civil case. CUNY's message to talented young grads who go into the law seems to be--we'll celebrate you only if we institutionally approve of your client.
— KC Johnson (@kcjohnson9) August 5, 2022
George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley called the cancellation of Mena "shocking."
"CUNY trains lawyers, including criminal defense lawyers. The message being sent to those students and graduates is that the school will shun you and disassociate itself if you represent a client in an unpopular cause."
It's also worth remembering that the jury in the case reached a unanimous verdict that Heard defamed Depp.