Schools
Princeton Alumni, Students Walkout At #MeToo Forum
A lawyer who defended Brett Kavanaugh in his sexual assault case was put on a #MeToo panel, sparking a walkout.
PRINCETON, NJ — Students and alumni walked out of the #MeToo Alumni-Faculty forum Saturday, in protest of the forum's inclusion of Alumna Beth Wilkinson. Wilkinson's law firm defended Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh amid sexual assault accusations against him, the Daily Princetonian reported.
The June 1 walkout included students and alumni, some of whom wore purple in solidarity instead of Princeton's black and orange.
Wilkinson also defended Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax against sexual assault allegations.
Find out what's happening in Princetonfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
"I did not anticipate that the Alumni Affairs Office’s version of ‘both sides’ on the #MeToo issue would look like this," Kellen Heniford, a Ph.D. candidate and 2014 Princeton alumna, said, according to a WHYY report. "[S]urvivors and their defenders somehow pitted against a prominent defender of a prominent man accused of abuse."
Heniford said the panel showed how Princeton failed in its responsibilities to sexual assault survivors. Then, she walked off the panel too.
Find out what's happening in Princetonfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
See the Princetonian report here.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
