Harvard students file complaints to prevent Kavanaugh from teaching at law school

Undergraduate students at Harvard University filed Title IX complaints against Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh this past week in an effort to prevent him from teaching any more classes at Harvard Law School.

The Harvard Crimson reported that the complaints were filed before Harvard Associate Dean Catherine Claypoole announced that Kavanaugh’s class would no longer be offered because he could “no longer commit” to teaching it.

{mosads}By late Monday, 48 students had signed an online petition saying they had filed a Title IX complaint against Kavanaugh. Two students told The Harvard Crimson they felt that Kavanaugh’s presence would create a “hostile environment” as defined by Harvard guidelines on sexual harassment.

“It would be pretty terrifying for any survivor or any person to walk into a building on campus and see someone who has been alleged of a very serious crime,” Julia Weiner said.

Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972 states: “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”

The dozens of complaints come as Kavanaugh defends himself against allegations of varying degrees of sexual misconduct from when he was in high school and college.

Kavanaugh and one of his accusers, Christine Blasey Ford, testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday in an explosive hearing.

Ford alleges that Kavanaugh drunkenly took her into a bedroom and tried to take her clothes off, using his hand to cover her mouth as she screamed.

The allegations, all of which Kavanaugh has denied, have upended the nominee’s confirmation process.

The FBI is now investigating the accusations against Kavanaugh, delaying a procedural floor vote in the Senate until later this week.