Alumni Spotlight: Bruce Easop ’09 - A Life in Civil Rights Law

As part of our Alumni Spotlight Series, Gill St. Bernard's recently sat down with Bruce Easop, a GSB Class of 2009 alum, whose professional path has taken him from editing The Fourth Estate with Mr. Bostian to speechwriting for college presidents and serving as a civil rights lawyer at the U.S. Department of Education in Washington, D.C.

How did you land at GSB? When did you start? 

I started at Gill St. Bernard’s in Second Grade and continued through high school. My family was drawn to the sense of community, teachers who are truly invested in their students, and the art program (because I loved to draw). GSB exceeded expectations on all counts! 

Do you have a favorite GSB memory? 

There are so many! Poetry Nights hosted in the Scout Cabin; acting as MC for the Mr. GSB Pageant with Chloe Cotoulas ’09; serving as Editor-in-Chief of our school newspaper The Fourth Estate; and signing yearbooks on the last day of school—just to name a few. 

What was your favorite class? 

My favorite classes are driven by the teachers who made an extraordinary impact on my GSB experience. Classes like Eighth Grade English with Mr. Maurer, Foundations of Mathematical Analysis with Mrs. Orr, Philosophy with Mr. Schmidt, and Physics with Mr. Bostian, all taught me about bringing curiosity and creativity to your work. 

Tell us about a memorable Spring Unit you took part in. What did you do? 

One of my favorite Spring Units was Creative Writing with Mrs. Orr. We had a chance to explore everything from poetry to short stories to plays and then workshop our pieces with our classmates. I was always inspired by how Mrs. Orr taught us to approach mathematical proofs and creative prose with the same sense of imagination and wonder. 

How did GSB prepare you for college and the working world? 

In many ways, GSB set me on the path I'm pursuing today. My experience at GSB demonstrated how education can make a transformative difference in students’ lives. That’s what motivates me to work at the intersection of education and civil rights law.   

GSB also had a unique emphasis on research and writing. From English classes with Mrs. Ripton and Dr. Lutz to the scientific research paper with Mrs. Schmidt, GSB taught me to think critically, ask challenging questions, and build thoughtful answers in my writing. This has been an essential skill throughout college and my career.  

Plus, experiences with extracurriculars like student government, newspaper, and the golf team taught me valuable leadership skills and a commitment to changing my communities for the better. That gave me the confidence to seek out leadership roles ever since—such as President of the Undergraduate Student Government at Princeton and Editor-in-Chief of the Stanford Journal of Civil Rights & Civil Liberties. 

Tell us a little about what you do now and how you got there. 

I work as an Attorney with the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights in Washington, D.C. My office combats discrimination based on race, sex, disability, age, and other protected characteristics by enforcing civil rights laws in our nation's schools. I act as a neutral fact finder and see a case through from start to finish—including interviewing complainants, investigating what happened, conducting legal analysis, and negotiating remedies.  

This role feels like the culmination of my path so far. After earning an A.B. in Politics at Princeton University and a M.A. in Legal and Political Theory at UCL, I went on to serve as special assistant to the presidents of Swarthmore College and Princeton University. In those roles, I led communications and strategic projects while learning about what it takes to operate institutions of higher education. This inspired me to return to school for my J.D.-M.A. in Education from Stanford Law School, where I studied complex questions about education, equity, law, and policy. My current work weaves together each of these threads. 

What would your advice to current GSB students be? 

Stay in the moment, take photos, and write down memories! It's amazing how time flies. After a while, it will mean so much more to look back and remember your time at GSB.  

What are some hobbies you enjoy? 

I love to bake elaborate cakes. One of my favorites was a cake designed to look like pancakes, complete with Nutella for the syrup and chilled icing as a pat of butter on top!