Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh has been accused of sexual assault by Palo Alto University psychology professor Christine Blasey Ford. Dr. Ford claims that Kavanaugh physically and sexually assaulted her during high school in the early 1980’s at a party. Kavanaugh has responded to the allegation, calling it “completely false”. He has even claimed that not only did he not assault Ford, but he was not at the party at all. Beyond the already harrowing details of this allegation, this situation has the potential to have drastic consequences.
Anita Hill, who testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee in 1991 regarding sexual harassment allegations against then-Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas, has expressed her opinions on this eerily similar case in an op-ed for the New York Times. She, perhaps more than anyone, understands exactly what can happen if these hearings are not conducted appropriately. In her opinion piece, she discusses the necessity of a “neutral investigative body with experience in sexual misconduct.”
“Senators must then rely on the investigators’ conclusions, along with advice from experts, to frame the questions they ask Judge Kavanaugh and Dr. Blasey… The investigators’ report should frame the hearing, not politics or myths about sexual assault.”
But what is also important, in this case in particular, is recognizing exactly where Kavanaugh stands on these allegations. Many people are saying that even if the sexual assault occurred, it shouldn’t affect his nomination because it happened decades ago when he was a young, drunk teenager. While that stance in and of itself is problematic for a variety of reasons, it may have held court for many senators– if it wasn’t for Kavanaugh’s stated position.
Let me remind you: Kavanaugh has completely denied the claim, even going so far as to say he was never at the place where the alleged assault took place. If an investigative body is able to verify the assault allegations to any degree, Kavanaugh is screwed. Because rather than admitting to the claims and apologizing for young drunken behavior, he has outright denied its existence. And at this point in time, in a society that is finally beginning to understand the severity and prevalence of sexual misconduct, this is utterly unacceptable.
As Hill stated in her op-ed, people excused the senators’ behavior during her 1991 hearing, saying that “they just don’t get it.” But today, in this #MeToo era, that can no longer be used as an excuse.
“With years of hindsight, mounds of evidence of the prevalence and harm that sexual violence causes individuals and our institutions, as well as a Senate with more women than ever, ‘not getting it’ isn’t an option for our elected representatives. In 2018, our senators must get it right.”
We now wait to see if Dr. Ford will testify publicly on Monday. Based on a letter sent by her lawyers to the Judiciary Committee, Ford’s life has been turned upside down. While she received support from many in the national community, she also has received harassment and death threats. This is a critical moment for our country’s leaders to respect her allegation and handle the situation properly. She has now experienced multiple traumas in her life because of Kavanaugh, who may spend the rest of his life serving on the highest court and deciding on cases that could affect everyone in this country. Ford must not be dismissed.
By: Cianna Allen