In October 2017, the #MeToo movement went viral over many different social media platforms when actress Alyssa Milano popularized the hashtag in her tweet: “If you’ve been sexually harassed or assaulted write ‘me too’ as a reply to this tweet.” As of today, the tweet has 66,000 replies and 24,000 retweets. Men and women alike rallied to expose and prevent sexual assault and harassment. Celebrities such as Aziz Ansari, Harvey Weinstein, and Melanie Martinez were accused of sexual misconduct during this movement. Many people stepped forward to share their own experiences with sexual assault and tried to empower others to do so as well. The movement helped fight victim bashing and give victims the courage they needed to call attention to the issue of sexual assault. Now, almost a year since #MeToo went viral, another sexual assault allegation has surfaced, this time in regards to attorney Brett Kavanaugh.
In 2003, President George W. Bush nominated Brett Kavanaugh as a United States Circuit Judge to replace Judge Laurence Silberman. The Senate debated the nomination of Kavanaugh for three years, and he was approved in 2006. Justice Anthony Kennedy swore him in on June 1, 2006, and he has served as a judge in the appeals courts ever since. This summer, President Donald Trump nominated Brett Kavanaugh to replace Justice Anthony Kennedy on the Supreme Court.
Kavanaugh’s hearings began on September 4. Four days before a vote was expected to take place either confirming or denying Kavanaugh’s position on the Supreme Court, Senator Dianne Feinstein from California shared an anonymous letter sent to her accusing Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct and attempted rape. Supporters of Kavanaugh criticized the allegation’s anonymity, so Christine Ford stepped forward to identify herself as the woman who filed the complaint. Ford accused Kavanaugh of physically restraining her at a party in high school when she was 15 and Kavanaugh was 17. Ford says that Kavanaugh held her down, covered her mouth when she tried to scream for help, and attempted to remove her clothes. Ford says she did not mention the sexual assault to anybody until 2012, when she and her husband attended couple’s therapy sessions. Notes from these therapy sessions have been released, and in them, Ford mentions being assaulted by boys from a preparatory school while at a house party in Maryland. She also states that the attacker grew up to be a high-profile citizen in Washington, D.C. Ford’s husband says he remembers Christine mentioning Kavanaugh by last name in their therapy sessions, but the therapist’s notes do not name the abuser.
In August, Ford took a polygraph test about the sexual assault allegations and reportedly passed. However, the test has raised many questions. Ford refuses to disclose who paid for the test or any details about the test. Polygraph tests are often inadmissible in court, because it is possible to have a false reading on a polygraph test. Many supporters of Kavanaugh found it strange that Ford took the test a month before her sexual assault allegations came to light. However, if the allegations are true, it is likely that once Ford heard about Kavanaugh’s nomination in July, she made a plan to eventually come forward about the sexual assault and took a lie detector test as proof for when she would inevitably come under fire for the accusation.
Brett Kavanaugh and Christine Ford are set to testify on Monday, September 24. Kavanaugh’s confirmation as Supreme Court Judge was delayed due to the controversy. The country is divided over the alleged sexual assault. Supporters of Kavanaugh believe the accusation is fake and that Ford constructed the story in order to prevent his confirmation as Supreme Court Justice. Many others believe Ford’s accusation and hope to see Kavanaugh’s confirmation denied. In all cases of reported sexual assault, the same question arises; who is telling the truth? If Brett Kavanaugh is found guilty of assaulting and attempting to rape Christine Ford, what will become of him? If the allegations are revealed to be true, will supporters still rally behind Kavanaugh despite a tarnished past? I believe they would. When footage was released of Donald Trump’s “locker room talk” constituents still wanted him as their president. But what if the accusation is a fraud? Will Kavanaugh be confirmed as the newest Supreme Court Judge, or will people turn on him because they still believe Ford? By the time this article is published, both Ford and Kavanaugh will have testified, but their fates may still be undecided.