Summary: The University of Maryland’s law school has created an eight-week course that was inspired by Freddie Gray.
According to the Wall Street Journal, a Baltimore law school has created a course named after Freddie Gray, a local man who died in policy custody just a few months ago.
The University of Maryland’s law school revealed the eight-week course, set to start in September. The course is titled, “Freddie Gray’s Baltimore: Past, Present and Moving Forward.” According to Business Insider, the course is already full.
The course description is as follows:
“The idea for this course emanates from the recent disturbances in Baltimore arising from Freddie Gray’s arrest and his resulting death. These events have highlighted and/or uncovered serious on-going social and financial dislocations within the City. The course will examine the recent unrest itself and then examine the causes of, and possible solutions to, those dislocations, including an examination of problems in policing; criminal justice; housing; health care; education; poverty; and community development and joblessness. The course is not viewed by its organizers as an end in itself. Rather, it is intended to be a springboard for further student and faculty involvement in citizen and government efforts to reform law and policy in the subject matter areas listed above. Students will be apprised throughout the course of volunteer opportunities to work on the issues addressed in the course.”
Michael Greenberger, a professor who specializes in legal issues related to emergency response and counterterrorism, will head the course. Greenberger also runs the school’s Center for Health and Homeland Security.
The course catalog notes that each class will be conducted under the supervision of University of Maryland professors and will be “supplemented by other academics, experts and officeholders.”
Students will earn grades based on a short paper, but they will also have to propose solutions to social issues they discuss in class.
Dean Donald Tobin said, “We see this course as an opportunity for our students to grapple with important issues in their backyard. We want not only to educate our students but to inspire them to act on what they’ve learned and work with our neighbors in West Baltimore to strengthen our community and city.”
The school is located less than three miles from where Gray was arrested and directed into a police van, where he sustained fatal spinal injuries at some point later. Six officers have been charged, and have pleaded not guilty. A trial is expected to begin in October. The Baltimore Sun adds that rioting, looting, and arson broke out on the day of Gray’s funeral.
Read about the officer indictments here.
Source: Wall Street Journal
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