Thousands of George Washington University Law School students signed a petition calling for Thomas to leave.
"This is a massive victory," Jon Kay, who helped organize the petition, said. The 20-year-old GWU junior from South Orange, N.J., who is majoring in international affairs and philosophy, said he was surprised to learn of Thomas's withdrawal. Groups of students had been planning demonstrations in the fall, he said, on the assumption that Thomas would be teaching. "We are going to continue to work to make sure he doesn't come back in the spring semester," Kay said.
