Thomas Frampton
@tframpton.bsky.social
2.1K followers 870 following 530 posts
Professor at UVA Law, visiting this year at GW Law, sometimes civil rights / criminal defense lawyer, full-time Ruth wrangler (RIP Haley). Stuff I write here: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/cf_dev/AbsByAuth.cfm?per_id=1785600
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tframpton.bsky.social
One (or many) problems with Trump’s “Compact” is that it obliges universities to eliminate “institutional units” that “belittle” unspecified “conservative ideas.” None of these terms are defined.

Are these “conservative ideas” that fall within the scope of the Compact?
carlquintanilla.bsky.social
POLITICO: “.. They referred to Black people as monkeys and ‘the watermelon people’ and mused about putting their political opponents in gas chambers. They talked about raping their enemies .. and lauded Republicans who they believed support slavery.

@politico.com
www.politico.com/news/2025/10...
Reposted by Thomas Frampton
prisonpolicy.org
Across the U.S., parole boards are releasing fewer people than in 2019.

Does this look like a system that values bettering people and giving them a second chance?
Graphs showing that almost every parole board in 29 states is releasing fewer people now than in 2019
tframpton.bsky.social
Very nice flyers for the rally Friday urging UVA (and others) not to play the Trump-led blackmail game. Reject the Compact.
The “Join or Die” flag, except the sections of the cut up snake are the 9 universities instead of the colonies The Bad Brains album cover, but instead of the Capitol being struck by lightning it’s the UVA rotunda.
tframpton.bsky.social
We got Spinoza and From Hell by footnote 1! I'm in!
Reposted by Thomas Frampton
jamalgreene.bsky.social
Yup, @weedenkim.bsky.social seems to get the sequence right. More details in this story, including that his lawsuit also, and appropriately, raised a First Amendment claim (a detail omitted from the OP's linked article).

universitystar.com/33285/news/t...
tframpton.bsky.social
The far right has made really clear that they do not like this rally planned for Saturday at 3rd St. NW and Pennsylvania Ave. and that they don't want people to go. (And also in your hometown around the country: www.nokings.org#map)

I wasn't planning on attending, but now I'm definitely going.
tframpton.bsky.social
I confess that I have not spent the time trying to figure out what did or didn't happen at NYU Law. But it is mind-blowing to me that "illiberal university administrators are the true threat to free speech" is still, in October 2025, the focus of the NYT's op-ed real estate.
tframpton.bsky.social
Just got the VHS of the Civil War reenactment that 11-year-old @yoyokellyo.bsky.social had to do in a suburban Colorado (?!) public school in 1997. 👀

(The political analysis provided in the voiceover was, unsurprisingly, disappointing.)
tframpton.bsky.social
Don’t think there were recordings, I’m afraid. Definitely photographs, though, which maybe someone can dig up. And I think some version of this event happened twice… this one was right before he left Yale. I remember it being really cordial and festive (boxing motif notwithstanding).
Reposted by Thomas Frampton
reichlinmelnick.bsky.social
My first thought was “wow I hope this guy didn’t give out his name because he could absolutely be charged” and yup, he is correct to stay anonymous.

This man’s account is shocking. His neighbors’ situation is shocking. The entire Chicago raid is shocking.
On the other side was a mom and her 7-year-old daughter, pleading for his help.
"I wasn't planning on letting her stay, but I didn't know what the hell was going on," the man said of his Venezuelan migrant neighbors. But he quickly relented. The little girl was inconsolable and hid under his bed.
"I didn't want them to take her," said the man, who didn't want to be named because he fears he'll be targeted by federal authorities for his actions.
"I gave her my bedroom, and I just told her,
'Just stay there. Don't open, don't, shh, just stay quiet," he recalled telling the mom and daughter as he choked back tears.
tframpton.bsky.social
Found this old poster going through old files from college.

@davidgraeberinst.bsky.social
Old timey boxing poster repurposed to announce debate/conversation between David Graeber and Michael Denning.
tframpton.bsky.social
Congrats to exoneree Calvin Duncan for winning the first round tonight (despite some pretty despicable dirty tricks from the AG and his opponent).

New Orleans folks: get him over the finish line in November!
Reposted by Thomas Frampton
tframpton.bsky.social
I get an email alert whenever there's a Xolo dog available for adoption within 750 miles, and it's delightful. This creature is allegedly a frenchie/Xolo mix.
tframpton.bsky.social
I haven’t the foggiest. Unless there’s only one grand jury impaneled at time for D.D.C, and they don’t want to wait until the next federal grand jury is reconvened? (So, not BETTER forum… just different forum?)
tframpton.bsky.social
I don't think it would bother me so much that the NY Times ran this patently dishonest and bad-faith op-ed if there was good, thorough reporting on what the proposed Compact actually says and does.
tframpton.bsky.social
Kelly and her students keep crushing it.
yoyokellyo.bsky.social
A great day in court! So thrilled for our client who will get home just in time for his first Thanksgiving with his family in 16 years. And I am so proud of the 9 law students (7 at @uvalaw.bsky.social & 2 at @gwlaw.bsky.social) who worked so diligently for 2+ years to secure a sentence reduction.
tframpton.bsky.social
Literally was just thinking: "Hmm, wonder what Mark Bray's up to these days."
tframpton.bsky.social
Who in the Democratic establishment is articulating what the "consequences" may be?

Who has stated: "Democrats will investigate and, if warranted, prosecute government officials for murder in connection with extrajudicial killings of 'drug mules'"?

Why should she fear consequences?
strandjunker.com
You can joke about Pam Bondi’s ridiculous unprofessionalism all you want, but I’m deeply shocked by it: She acts as if she fears absolutely no consequences, convinced that there will be no more political power transfers. — This should shake everyone to their core.
tframpton.bsky.social
Agreed, entirely.

But also, government officials telling artists what type of art they can/should produce is deeply depressing and disturbing.
kenwhite.bsky.social
A purported leader reacting angrily to a country song seems weak, not strong.
tframpton.bsky.social
I had the privilege of helping moot these two and was incredibly impressed. (And, while I wasn't there, I heard they crushed it in court.)
yoyokellyo.bsky.social
So proud of the 8 law students (6 at @uvalaw.bsky.social and 2 at @gwlaw.bsky.social) who put 2+ years pursuing a sentence reduction for a client under D.C.’s Second Look Law. GW Law 3Ls Zoe Jacobs and Nick Teachenor’s professionalism and preparation during today’s 3 hour hearing was extraordinary.
tframpton.bsky.social
A subset of the South has spent ~150 years resenting the perceived unjustified deployment of federal troops in their communities during Reconstruction. Entire politics and worldviews have been shaped by it. Honestly curious how this is landing there culturally: Amnesia? Vengeance? Schadenfreude?
tframpton.bsky.social
Damnit you made me do a triple-take.
tframpton.bsky.social
I don’t know enough about the TX and AZ context, but UVA actually can’t sue (because our General Counsel reports to the State AG, not the university, and the State AG is very much a MAGA type). It’s unclear that our current Board of Visitors and President would sue, but that’s another matter.