The concept and language of trauma have become ubiquitous in our culture and society, both before and after #MeToo. How does the idea of trauma shape the classroom experience, for students and for teachers? How does it interact with the imperatives of academic and intellectual discussion in the classroom? What might students and teachers do about it?

Jeannie Suk Gersen is the John H. Watson, Jr. Professor of Law at Harvard Law School. She teaches and writes about a wide range of subjects including criminal law and procedure, family law, constitutional law, sexual assault and harassment, and Title IX. She has received a Guggenheim Fellowship and Harvard Law School’s Sacks-Freund Award for Teaching Excellence and is a contributing writer for newyorker.com.