WASHINGTON, DC—President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, Judge Brett Kavanaugh, allegedly assaulted a young woman, Christine Blasey Ford, during a party in the 1980s when Kavanaugh and Ford were teenagers, according to a National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) press release. Ford went on to tell what happened at a Monday hearing.
The incident is being compared, by many in news circles, as similar to what Anita Hill went through during the 1991 Senate hearing confirmation of now Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, in which Hill accused Thomas of indiscretions and sexual misconduct.
NCLR Legal Director Shannon Minter issued the following statement:
“The allegations of sexual assault raised against Brett Kavanaugh are detailed, credible, and corroborated by reports to third parties. No one facing such allegations should be confirmed to our nation’s highest court without a full investigation of these claims.
“NCLR joins The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and 45 other civil rights organizations in calling for the Senate to stop its scheduled vote and investigate these allegations.
“Yesterday, Christine Blasey Ford courageously put her country above herself and her family and publicly identified herself as the author of the previously confidential letter shared with Senator Feinstein’s office.
“Almost three decades ago, Anita Hill bravely shared her story and faced brutal attacks as elected officials, members of our government, dragged her name through the mud. Today, thanks in no small part to Anita Hill’s courage, the world has changed. The women of this country will not permit our nation’s leaders to disregard or demean the voices of those coming forward to report sexual violence and abuse. And this time, many people—on both sides of the political spectrum—are standing with them. The Senate must treat Professor Ford with the respect, dignity, and gravity she deserves. History will harshly judge those who stand in the path of such treatment.”
The National Center for Lesbian Rights is a national legal organization committed to advancing the human and civil rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community through litigation, public policy advocacy, and public education.
[From a News Release]
