The confirmation process for Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court was dramatically altered by allegations of sexual harassment made by Anita Hill. These accusations, which became public after the initial Judiciary Committee hearings, led to a reopening of the confirmation proceedings and captivated the nation. Hill's testimony, delivered on October 11, 1991, detailed specific instances of alleged inappropriate behavior by Thomas, sparking a national
debate and profoundly influencing the final Senate vote.
The Emergence of Allegations
Rumors of Thomas having sexually harassed women began circulating among Democratic committee staffers shortly after his nomination. In early September, Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Joe Biden requested an FBI investigation into charges made by Anita Hill, a former colleague of Thomas. FBI agents interviewed Hill on September 23 and Thomas on September 25. Despite these allegations, Biden initially decided not to postpone the committee's scheduled vote on Thomas's nomination.
The situation escalated on October 6, 1991, after the initial confirmation hearings had concluded and while the full Senate was debating Thomas's final approval. NPR Supreme Court correspondent Nina Totenberg aired information from a leaked Judiciary Committee/FBI report. This report revealed that Hill, a University of Oklahoma law school professor, accused Thomas of making unwelcome sexual comments to her when they worked together at the Department of Education (ED) and later at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The same FBI report noted Thomas's testimony that he had once promoted Allyson Duncan over Hill as his chief of staff at the EEOC.
Hill's Detailed Testimony
Following Totenberg's broadcast, Chairman Biden faced immense pressure from House Democratic women and various groups opposing Thomas to reopen the hearings. Consequently, the final Senate vote was postponed, and the confirmation hearings were indeed reopened—an action taken only three times in Senate history, and not since 1925. Amidst this frenzy, President Bush publicly declared his "total confidence" in Thomas.
On the morning of October 11, 1991, Anita Hill testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee. She stated her purpose was to speak to Thomas's character and fitness for the high court, expressing ambivalence about whether his alleged conduct constituted illegal sexual harassment. Hill recounted her professional relationship with Thomas, beginning in 1981 as an attorney-adviser at the Department of Education. She followed him to the EEOC in 1982, serving as his special assistant until her resignation in mid-1983. Hill testified that the sexually provocative statements occurred during her employment at both ED and EEOC. She explained her decision to follow Thomas to the EEOC by stating that the work itself was interesting, and at that time, "it appeared that the sexual overtures... had ended." She also desired to work in civil rights and viewed the Department of Education as a "dubious venture" at the time.
Hill provided graphic details of Thomas's alleged inappropriate behavior. She testified that he spoke about acts seen in pornographic films, including bestiality, group sex, and rape scenes. She also alleged that Thomas graphically described his own sexual prowess and made embarrassing references to a porn star named Long Dong Silver. A specific incident she recalled from their time at the EEOC involved Thomas asking, "Who has put pubic hair on my Coke?" while holding a can of soda.
Supporting Statements and Thomas's Rebuttal
Two other women, Angela Wright and Rose Jourdain, provided statements to Senate staffers supporting Hill's allegations, though they did not testify before the Judiciary Committee. Wright, a former subordinate of Thomas at the EEOC, told staff that Thomas had repeatedly made comments similar to those alleged by Hill, including pressuring her for dates, asking about her breast size, and frequently commenting on other women's anatomy. Wright claimed Thomas fired her after she rejected his advances, while Thomas asserted he fired her for poor performance and using a homophobic epithet. Jourdain corroborated Wright's statements, recalling Wright's distress over Thomas's constant commentary on her body. Another former assistant, Sukari Hardnett, did not accuse Thomas of harassment but noted that young, Black, attractive female subordinates of Thomas felt they were being "inspected and auditioned as a female."
On the afternoon of October 11, 1991, Clarence Thomas testified, vehemently denying all accusations. He stated, "I deny each and every single allegation against me today that suggested in any way that I had conversations of a sexual nature or about pornographic material with Anita Hill, that I ever attempted to date her, that I ever had any personal sexual interest in her, or that I in any way ever harassed her." Thomas characterized the hearing as a "circus" and a "national disgrace," famously calling it a "high-tech lynching" for Black Americans who dared to think for themselves. He denied using the terms "pubic hair in my Coke" or "Long Dong Silver" in conversation with Hill, and also denied having read *The Exorcist*, a book mentioned in relation to one of Hill's claims. Despite the dramatic testimony and denials, the Senate ultimately confirmed Thomas to the Supreme Court.
