Stanford Speaker Choice Sparks Debate
A guest lecture by author and dominatrix Brittany Newell at Stanford University has drawn criticism and defense from students.
Stanford University has ignited controversy among students following a guest lecture by Brittany Newell, an author and professional dominatrix. Newell, a 2016 Stanford graduate, was invited to speak to students in the university's Structured Liberal Education (SLE) program.
The SLE program, which focuses on liberal arts including philosophy, religion, literature, painting, and film, invited Newell after the release of her book, "Soft Core." Newell studied Feminist, Gender and Sexuality Studies and Comparative Literature at Stanford.
Criticism emerged from The Stanford Review, a conservative student publication, which questioned the relevance of Newell's "expertise in dominating men" to the SLE program's aims. The publication argued that Newell's profession, which involves profiting from perceived vulnerabilities, stands in contrast to traditional work ethics and that her experiences with clients on escort websites like Seeking Arrangements may not offer constructive solutions for personal problems.
Conversely, The Stanford Daily, another student newspaper, defended the university's decision. According to attendees cited by The Daily, Newell's lecture primarily focused on the process of getting a book published and did not extensively detail her work as a dominatrix. The paper drew parallels to historical philosophers with controversial pasts, such as Ludwig Wittgenstein, suggesting that an author's personal life should not detract from the quality of their work. The Stanford Daily advocated for an approach of "intellectual humility" rather than "moral condemnation" when engaging with literature and authors.
Newell, 31, has authored two novels: "Oola" (2017) and "Soft Core" (2025). Her third novel, "Blue Movie," is scheduled for release in 2028. "Soft Core," inspired by her experiences in sex work, received mixed reviews, with The Guardian describing it as a "wonderful portrait of San Francisco" and The New York Times noting a "satisfying kind of crescendo" in its final pages.
Newell also works as a professional dominatrix and performer in San Francisco. She previously told the San Francisco Chronicle that after graduating from Stanford, she worked in food service and later turned to escort work, describing some clients as wealthy but "spiritually void."