Brett Kavanaugh swore in as the 114th Supreme Court Justice for the United States of America on Saturday after a litany of sexual assault accusations from several women.
Despite these allegations, the Senate voted to confirm him into the Supreme Court, and protests around the country roared. As his confirmation took place, demonstrators stood outside the Supreme Court building protesting the Senate’s decision.
Members of University of Memphis organizations on sexual assault, the Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Coalition (SAPAC) and Safety Net, said they have concerns in regard to Kavanaugh’s confirmation.
Abby Kindervader, U of M Office of Institutional Equity Title IX prevention specialist and faculty advisor for SAPAC, said all Supreme Court Justice nominations will effect campus communities.
“Just the nomination and confirmation of any Supreme Court Justices has an effect,” Kindervader said. “They’re going to be hearing the cases that come before them, and then those cases do have relations to our individual lives. College campus cases do come before the Supreme Court, it’s not often, but it does happen.”
Nikkino Wesson, executive director of SAPAC, said Supreme Court Justices must present cases in a professional way, and she does not see Kavanaugh doing that.
“You have to think about his particular standing at this point, after he has been presented to the limelight of a horrible crime against an individual and their space,” Wesson said. “You have to think about if he can remove himself from that, and be able to clearly approach each case with a clear mind and a clear conscience. I’m not sure that’s going to be possible.”
Wesson said the impact of Kavanaugh’s win will be negative on students.
“I believe that the affect would be not being able to be heard, not feeling heard, a detachment from our campus, our community and ourselves,” Wesson said. “At SAPAC, our mission is to prevent and to protect for our campus and community and our student body. We want them to know they can still vocalize the truth and their selves.”
Courtney Harrough, founder and president of Safety Net, said Kavanaugh’s confirmation effects students in a variety of ways.
“I believe it has impacted the students on many levels: emotionally, mentally, and physically,” Harrough said. “Those elected into power will have an impact on how survivors and allies alike are to perceive their credibility or safety in our society. This can have impacts on their ability to maintain academic success, personal health and practices of self-care.”
Harrough said now is the time to speak up and have a voice for what is happening in the country politically.
“It is always wise to use the power of your voice and advocate for survivors in spaces you exist in, as well as encourage the presence of comprehensive sex education in schools and vote in the upcoming election,” Harrough said. “Our country is not in a time of peace, and we who are able to must be good citizens and advocate for change.”
Controversy about the Kavanaugh nomination cropped up close to the 2018 Midterm Senate elections, and many candidates reflected on the decision, including Democratic U.S. Senate candidate from Tennessee Phil Bredesen.
Bredesen released a statement Oct. 5 on the Kavanaugh situation. He said he would have voted “yes” for Kavanaugh both before and after the accusations arose.
“I believe a Senator’s responsibility to ‘advise and consent’ is not a license to indulge in partisanship, but should focus on the qualifications of the nominee, their ethics and their temperament,” Bredesen said in the press release. “I believed that Judge Kavanaugh initially met this test, and I was prepared to say ‘yes’ to his nomination prior to Dr. Ford’s coming forward. While the subsequent events make it a much closer call, and I am missing key pieces of information that a sitting Senator has, I’m still a ‘yes.’”
The senator’s reaction comes after a CBS poll showed an eight-point swing in Republican Marsha Blackburn’s favor for the senate race. It is still unclear how Bredesen’s decision will effect the polls.
