May 09, 2022

CORVALLIS, Ore. — Oregon State University experts will discuss the recently leaked draft decision from the U.S. Supreme Court overturning the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade case that protected abortion access during a panel from 4-5:30 p.m. Thursday, May 12.

The panel, titled “The End of Roe? Understanding the Leaked Supreme Court Ruling on Abortion Rights,” will feature five OSU faculty members discussing the political, public health and historical ramifications of the anticipated ruling. The remote event is free and open to all via Zoom.

OSU’s School of History, Philosophy and Religion started organizing “flash panels” after the 2016 election. They are designed to quickly offer greater depth and context on current events for students and the broader Corvallis community.

“This just seemed like an absolutely necessary conversation to have — there’s only so much analysis you can get through news media,” said Amy Koehlinger, one of the panelists and an associate professor of history. “There’s a lot of background that needs to be brought into the conversation and be understood, and there are numerous implications that flow from this decision that people need to be informed about.”

One of the most important pieces to understand, she said, is that the original Roe v. Wade ruling established precedent around the right to privacy, which has broad repercussions if it’s overturned.

“There are a lot of other rights we currently enjoy as a society that are based on that same precedent, and they become imperiled if this new ruling stands,” Koehlinger said.

The panel will touch on diverse contextual issues, including the role of privacy as the basis of other rights, the lack of ratification for the Equal Rights Amendment and the sparse landscape of U.S. family policy.

The panelists are:

  • Amy Koehlinger, associate professor of history and an expert in American religious history.
  • Kelsy Kretschmer, assistant professor of public policy and an expert in social movements and gender in politics.
  • Cari Maes, assistant professor of history and an expert on the effects of criminalizing abortion in Brazil.
  • David Rothwell, associate professor of public health and an expert in family and social policy.
  • Rorie Solberg, associate professor of political science and an expert in judicial politics.

The discussion will be moderated by Katie Bolzendahl, director of the School of Public Policy, professor of sociology and an expert in gender equality and social investment.

Register for the free panel here. For questions or for accommodations for disabilities, contact [email protected].

The event is co-sponsored by OSU’s School of Public Policy, School of History, Philosophy and Religion, and the Center for the Humanities.

College of Liberal Arts

About the OSU College of Liberal Arts: The College of Liberal Arts encompasses seven distinct schools, as well as several interdisciplinary initiatives, that focus on humanities, social sciences, and fine and performing arts. Curriculum developed by the college’s nationally and internationally-renowned faculty prepares students to approach the complex problems of the world ethically and thoughtfully, contributing to a student's academic foundation and helping to build real-world skills for a 21st century career and a purposeful life.

Story By: 

Molly Rosbach, [email protected]

Source: 

Amy Koehlinger, [email protected]; Katie Bolzendahl, [email protected]

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