Anita Hill called on the federal government to implement a “fair and neutral” way to investigate sexual misconduct complaints after allegations surfaced against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh this week.
A woman is accusing Kavanaugh of assaulting her when they were high schoolers in the early 1980s, and she relayed the claim in a letter to Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, who received the note in July and referred it to the FBI on Wednesday.
Kavanaugh has vehemently denied the allegation, saying in a statement: “I did not do this back in high school or at any time.”
However, Hill wants senators to put a process into place that will allow the accusation to be treated seriously.
“Given the seriousness of these allegations, the government needs to find a fair and neutral way for complaints to be investigated,” Hill, now a professor at Brandeis University, said in a statement Friday. “The Senate Judiciary Committee should put in place a process that enables anyone with a complaint of this nature to be heard.”
The woman accusing Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct has not come forward publicly.
Hill said Friday, “The reluctance of someone to come forward demonstrates that even in the #MeToo era, it remains incredibly difficult to report harassment, abuse or assault by people in power.”
The Judiciary Committee is scheduled to vote on Kavanaugh’s nomination next Thursday, with the full Republican-led Senate looking to consider it later this month.
