Some students at George Mason University have decided that even though a class taught by Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh will be held in England, they want him fired from the faculty. As Zachary Petrizzo reports for The College Fix, video footage taken from the public comment period of GMU’s board meeting last week shows various students claiming their mental health would be challenged by the very idea of Kavanaugh having a position as a visiting law professor.
One female student commented, “The hiring of Kavanaugh threatens the mental well-being of all survivors on this campus.” Another female student echoed, “It is affecting my mental health knowing that an abuser will be part of our faculty.” A third chimed in, “As someone who has survived sexual assault three times, I do not feel comfortable with someone who has sexual assault allegations walking on campus.”
The class will be held this summer in Runnymede, England, which is where the Magna Carta was signed.
Last Wednesday at a Faculty Senate meeting, as Petrizzo reported, GMU President Angel Cabrera responded to criticism of the hiring of Kavanaugh by saying, “He has been confirmed by — this is not a crazy appointment. This is a Supreme Court justice who is going to be teaching about the United States Constitution. So from that standpoint, I believe I am not going to question the judgment of that. It’s not a crazy appointment. … Having a Supreme Court justice is going to create value for the students. The students, by the way, have agreed. The students have signed up to this class.”
Petrizzo noted, “Cabrera added he is not making a judgment about the accusations lodged against Kavanaugh or whether he is guilty or innocent.”
Professor Bethany Letiecq, president of George Mason University’s American Association of University Professors chapter, replied, “Well, should we investigate that? I mean, should we investigate that? He’s been accused, and there has not been a full investigation as far as I’m … that I can see.”
The idea that Kavanaugh was not thoroughly investigated is about as ludicrous a statement as one could make; he was likely the most-investigated nominee of any person who has been put forth as a possible justice on the Supreme Court. The summary report and exhibits alone of the investigation performed by the Senate Judiciary Committee totaled 414 pages. 45 individuals were interviewed; 25 written statements were taken.
Robby Soave of Reason, who took an even-handed approach to the furor surrounding the Kavanaugh hearings, pointed out succinctly:
But even if an investigation were to take place, this would hardly placate the student activists: They want the university to #CancelKavanaugh immediately. This follows from the fourth-wave feminist presumption that all self-proclaimed survivors of sexual misconduct must be telling the truth—even though at least one of the Kavanaugh accusations is extremely dubious. It would be a terrible blow to the principles of fairness and academic freedom if a university were to un-person one of the foremost judicial figures in the country over this.