Assault allegations against Kavanaugh threaten his confirmation
In 1991, during his confirmation, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas received accusations of sexual harassment from professor Anita Hill. Over 25 years later, the American public is faced with an uncanningly similar situation.
On July 9, 2018, President Donald Trump nominated Brett Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court, as a replacement for retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy. In the same month, Christine Blasey Ford, professor of psychology at Palo Alto University, decided to privately share her story of sexual assault. In a letter written to senator Dianne Feinstein, Ford stated that 36 years ago, Kavanaugh and another classmate drunkenly assaulted her at a high school party. In the letter, she describes the assault, saying “Kavanaugh physically pushed me into a bedroom… They locked the door and played loud music precluding any successful attempt to yell for help… With Kavanaugh’s hand over my mouth I feared he may inadvertently kill me.”
Although Feinstein promised to keep Ford’s story confidential, public suspicion about the letter’s existence grew without knowledge of who sent it. Deciding to tell her story before it was told for her, Ford identified herself as the victim in an account to the Washington Post.
Additionally, on Sept. 23, 2018, a second woman came forward with her story of sexual assault. Deborah Ramirez issued an allegation against Kavanaugh to the New Yorker, stating that in their freshman year at Yale University, he had sexually harassed her at a dormitory party. She claimed that “(Kavanaugh) exposed himself at a drunken dormitory party, thrust his p—- in her face, and caused her to touch it without her consent as she pushed him away.” Kavanaugh has responded by stating that both allegations are false.
Ford and Ramirez’s allegations against Kavanaugh have garnered mixed responses from politicians and the public alike. Many have praised the women for sharing their stories, serving as a continuation of the #MeToo movement that catapulted in late 2017. Many senators have supported Ford and Ramirez, arguing that Kavanaugh is not fit to serve on the Supreme Court.
Additionally, a third woman accused Kavanaugh of sexual assault on Sept. 26, and four people have submitted affidavits backing up Ford’s allegations.
On the other hand, the allegations have been met with disbelief and utter rejection. In the public’s eye, Kavanaugh has historically been hailed as a “champion of women”. Kavanaugh coaches his daughters’ basketball team, stating that he has cherished transforming many young girls into powerful players. The allegations from both women lack clear detail, and it has been conspired by many Republicans that they are politically motivated and do not hold truth.
Whether or not the allegations are true, they will inevitably alter the public’s view of Kavanaugh. This is just the latest development in the growing list of politicians who have been accused of sexual harassment, including our very own president. As people who decide what is right or wrong in our nation. With Ford and Kavanaugh expected to testify in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee, the allegations could be the fatal blow to Kavanaugh’s political career or just another bump along the road of appointing him to the Supreme Court.
