Dr. Christine Blasey Ford's name has become rather well known over the last couple of days after she revealed herself to be the anonymous woman who accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of assaulting her in high school. Ford has received an outpouring of support from over 200 women who also attended her all-women high school. Yesterday, more than 200 fellow alumnae of Holton-Arms penned their names to a letter supporting Dr. Ford.
The letter reads,
"Open Letter from Holton-Arms Alumnae in Support of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford
We are alumnae of Holton-Arms School, and we are writing in support of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, a fellow Holton graduate.
We believe Dr. Blasey Ford and are grateful that she came forward to tell her story. It demands a thorough and independent investigation before the Senate can reasonably vote on Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to a lifetime seat on the nation's highest court.
Dr. Blasey Ford's experience is all too consistent with stories we heard and lived while attending Holton. Many of us are survivors ourselves.
Holton's motto teaches students to "find a way or make one." We dream of making a world where women are free from harassment, assault and sexual violence. We hold deep gratitude for Dr. Blasey Ford for bravely stepping forward and bringing us closer to that world we all seek.
Sincerely,
Holton Alumnae in support of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford
A group of 200+ alumnae from the classes of 1967-2018"
Among the alumnae who added their names to the letter is award-winning actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus, a member of the Holton-Arms Class of 1979.
As of this morning, the number of alumnae who signed the letter has increased to 599.
It also appears that signatures have been moved from a Google Doc (now closed) to a website,
StandWithBlaseyFord.com.
Seventeen of Ford's classmates from the class of 1984 also wrote their own letter to Congress to illustrate their support.
Many other people say they believe Dr. Ford's allegation against Kavanaugh.
And numerous others are adding their names to the list of women and men who support Dr. Ford.
The current head of Holton-Arms School, Susanna Jones, also lent her support of Dr. Blasey Ford.
"In these cases, it is imperative that all voices are heard. As a school that empowers women to use their voices, we are proud of this alumna for using hers."
The support Dr. Ford has received is a welcome reprieve from the political games being played out in Washington.
Sometime in the early 1980s, possibly the summer of 1982, Christine Blasey Ford was at a party with some of her fellow students from Holton-Arms, an all-girls high school.
There were a few boys from Georgetown Prep, an all-boys high school, at the party as well.
Dr. Ford recalls she was forced into a bedroom by the future District Court Judge Brett Kavanaugh and his friend, Mark Judge, both of whom were "stumbling drunk". It was in this bedroom that a 17-year-old Kavanaugh proceeded to grope a 15-year-old Ford over her clothes. When she tried to yell out for help, he stifled her screams with his hand. In doing so, Ford, describing the incident to The Washington Post, worried that Kavanaugh might "inadvertently kill" her.
Dr. Ford did not tell anyone about the encounter until she was prompted to tell the story by her therapist while attending couples therapy with her husband in 2012.
In July of this year, Dr. Ford contacted the Washington Post's tip line anonymously when Kavanaugh's name was floated as a possibility for a Supreme Court seat.
Dr. Ford also wrote a letter detailing her accusations which ended up in the possession of Democrat Dianne Feinstein, who chose to honor Dr. Ford's request for anonymity. It wasn't until The Intercept reported on the contents of the letter, noting that Feinstein had refused to share the letter's contents with her colleagues, that Dr. Ford chose to reveal herself.
Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, a Republican, has scheduled a hearing for September 24, but Democrats have pushed back, saying there need to be more witnesses––notably Mark Judge––present. Democrats have also called on the FBI to reopen its background check of Kavanaugh and interview possible witnesses.H/T: BuzzFeed News, Washington Post, CNN, HuffPost
