More than 10,500 law students and alumni from Yale, Harvard, and other universities have signed a petition calling for the disbarment of GOP Senators Josh Hawley and Ted Cruz.
The petition accused the senators of “leading the efforts to undermine the peaceful transition of power after a free and fair election.”
According to the petition, Senators Hawley and Cruz were responsible for “directly [inciting] the January 6th insurrection, repeating dangerous and unsubstantiated statements regarding the election and abetting the lawless behavior of President Trump” which encouraged a violent mob to attack the US Capitol, killing five people.
Seven third-year Yale law students reportedly initiated the petition which has included over 2,600 members of the Missouri, Texas, and District of Columbia Bars. The associations were called to “begin disbarment proceedings against Senators Hawley and Cruz.” Cruz is a graduate of Harvard Law School and Hawley earned his law degree at Yale.
Universities Joining In
The University of Missouri (MU), where Hawley was once a faculty member for several years, also criticized the senator and called for his resignation.
In a letter issued last on the day of the riot, the Mizzou Student Bar Association denounced Senator Hawley for “inspiring a moment of insurrection resulting in the loss of at least one American life.”
The letter further stated that Hawley “severely damaged the reputation of [MU]” and that the university “was just another rung in [Hawley’s] ladder to the Presidency.”
The insurrection at the US Capitol also prompted Lehigh University in Pennsylvania to strip Trump of his honorary degree which was granted to the president in 1988 when he delivered the school’s commencement address.
Lehigh University President John D. Simon said the pro-Trump protest was a “violent assault” on the foundations of democracy and hopes that the incident will “encourage the peaceful pursuit of governance.”
The university did not comment any further.