Dive Brief:
- Students at Yale Law School protested the nomination of federal appeals court judge Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court with a sit-in on the campus and protests in Washington, D.C., where he and a woman accusing him of sexual assault will testify today, according to Quartz.
- Kavanaugh graduated from Yale Law, and some of his alleged misbehavior as a student there has been under scrutiny. Additionally, allegations that Yale Law professor Amy Chua coached women hoping to clerk for Kavanaugh to wear short skirts and that he prefers feminine, model-like appearances also drew protests.
- Several Yale Law professors sent a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee, which will vote on Kavanaugh's confirmation, calling for members to make certain the process is thorough and fair. More than 300 demonstrators dressed in black held a silent sit-in at the school, The Atlantic reported, and some professors canceled classes so students could participate in the protests.
Dive Insight:
Kavanaugh was selected by President Donald Trump to fill a position on the court left vacant with the resignation of Justice Anthony Kennedy, who retired in July and whose position can tip the balance in a court that's otherwise ideologically split. Kennedy was often the swing vote in court decisions — including a 2016 decision supporting affirmative action admissions policies in higher education.
The Yale Law students aren't alone. Kavanaugh's nomination, in addition to complaints about his honesty and alleged sexual misconduct, have stirred some college students, who experts say are interested in issues of equity and social justice. There also have been charges that his conservative views about presidential power and protections favor Trump.
Students from Bowdoin College, in Maine, protested outside the offices of U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, a Republican who is on the judiciary committee and is considered a key vote. And students at Vanderbilt University led a walk-out in protest of the nomination and timed with a national protest held in Washington, D.C., on Monday.
Others support Kavanaugh. For example, a group of students from Liberty University, in Virginia, traveled to Washington this week to show their support. Jerry Falwell Jr., a strong supporter of President Trump, is president of the evangelical Christian university.