Last week, George Mason University announced their intention to rename their law school after the recently deceased Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia.
Officials initially planned to name the school the Antonin Scalia School of Law, but that plan has hit a snag. What seemed like a standard way of honoring the justice quickly went downhill for the Virginia university when the Internet started to get involved.
Soon after the announcement, tweets began pouring in to point out the unfortunate abbreviation facing the recently renamed law school. The hashtags #ASSOL and #ASSlaw were quickly adopted by some current George Mason students. Some even suggested that the announcement may have been a premature “April Fools Day” joke.
The unintentional social media backlash prompted a response from the University, which acted quickly to correct their embarrassing oversight. George Mason Law School dean, Henry N. Butler, announced on Tuesday that a small amendment would be made to the previous week’s announcement.
“The name initially announced — the Antonin Scalia School of Law — has caused some acronym controversy on social media. The Antonin Scalia Law School is a logical substitute.”
Butler also said that Scalia’s career was the embodiment of the school’s values.
The original announcement came as part of a joint announcement of record donations. One $20 million donation was made by an anonymous donor, while another $10 million donation was made by the infamous Charles Koch Foundation. It is reported that this anonymous donation was contingent upon the law school name change.
These donations will establish three new scholarship programs at the University, including one named for the former Supreme Court justice. In addition to the Antonin Scalia Scholarship, the A. Linwood Holton, Jr. Leadership Scholarship and F.A. Hayek Law, Legislation, and Liberty Scholarship will be awarded to students annually.
Scalia’s colleague and friend, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg described the renaming as a “tribute altogether fitting.” She also called Scalia “a law teacher, public servant, legal commentator, and jurist nonpareil.”
Featured image by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images.
