George Mason Students Want Visiting Professor Brett Kavanaugh Fired Over Sexual Misconduct Allegations
"As a survivor, as a student who comes to this university, and expects to have a good education, to experience a happy, safe place, I am insulted."
George Mason University's Antonin Scalia Law School has hired Associate Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh to teach a course for students studying abroad in England next summer. Some GMU undergraduate student activists want Kavanaugh's appointment rescinded, due to the sexual misconduct allegations made against him during his confirmation hearings.
These students are framing the issue as one of safety. George Mason, they say, will be an unsafe place if someone like Kavanaugh is affiliated with it.
"As a survivor, as a student who comes to this university, and expects to have a good education, to experience a happy, safe place, I am insulted," student Elijah Nichols tells WDVM. Nicholas also accuses the university's president of disregarding students' safety and well-being.
A change.org petition with more than 2,000 signatories calls on George Mason University to cancel Kavanaugh, change its practices around the gender equality law Title IX, and issue a formal apology to survivors. The Twitter feed of Survivors 4 Mason, the activist group organizing opposition to Kavanaugh, has retweeted several students who chided the school for being lenient to Kavanaugh.
George Mason President Angel Cabrera has thus far rebuffed the activist demands that he step in and override the law school's decision. Indeed, it would be insane to deny students the opportunity to learn from a member of the Supreme Court due to these allegations, at least some of which seem quite dubious in hindsight. It's also hard to see how Kavanaugh's presence actually impacts any current student's safety.
