We, the undersigned University of Vermont (UVM) faculty, write in support of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and all survivors of sexual assault. We also write against the confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and against the toxic conditions of gender, sexual, and racial inequality and violence that have been fomented by the country’s highest office holders. These are the toxic conditions that gave rise to Kavanaugh’s nomination and that his elevation to the Supreme Court would reinforce, including at the University of Vermont and in our wider community.
Last week UVM Police released its crime statistics for 2017 including 20 reported cases of rape and “fondling,” 14 reported cases of domestic violence, and 25 reported cases of stalking. These are only the cases that were reported, just one indication of how a nationwide culture of sexual predation and violence pervades our own campus, dorms, classrooms, workplaces, and neighborhoods. Of grave concern to us as well is the combined force of racism and misogyny that has been escalated and legitimated by the Trump White House and its appointees and nominees--its effects visible in racist messaging and threats on campus and cited by Vermont’s only female legislator of color as necessitating her resignation.
With this letter, we call on the U.S. Senate to commit to a thorough and independent investigation of the claims of Dr. Ford and of all other women against Kavanaugh. We further call on members of the University of Vermont community to stand with Dr. Ford and with survivors of sexual assault, and we call on the UVM administration to increase prevention strategies to combat assault and improve the humane and sensitive treatment of victims who report sexual violence. With and beyond this letter, we commit our voices and our power to oppose the confirmation of Kavanaugh and to the multiple threats he represents, including to the integrity of the judicial process itself.
Jamie Abaied, Psychological Science
Tatiana Abatemarco, Environmental Studies
Elizabeth Adams, Communication Sciences & Disorders
Sarah C. Alexander, English
Eve Alexandra, English and Gender, Sexuality, & Women’s Studies
Allison Anacker, Psychological Science
Erica Andrus, Religion
Michael Ashooh, Philosophy
John Barlow, Animal & Veterinary Sciences
JB Barna, Social Work
Brad Bauerly, Political Science & Global Studies
Emily Beam, Economics
Caroline Beer, Political Science
Jean Bessette, English
Paul Bierman, Geology
Thomas Borchert, Religion
Sid Bosworth, Plant & Soil Science and UVM Extension
Vicki L. Brennan, Religion
Carol Buck-Rolland, Nursing
Eileen Burgin, Political Science
Chris Burns, UVM Libraries
Keith Burt, Psychological Science
Holly-Lynn Busier, Leadership & Developmental Sciences
Sarah Carleton, Theater
Jacqueline Carr, History
Sin yee Chan, Philosophy
Yolanda Chen, Plant & Soil Science
Thomas Chittenden, Business
Anne Clark, Religion
Michele Commercio, Political Science
Catherine Connor, Romance Languages & Linguistics
Nicole Conroy, Human Development & Family Studies
Meghan Cope, Geography
Celia Cuddy, Social Work
Daniel DeSanto, UVM Libraries
Dan Tam Do, UVM Libraries
Deb Ellis, Film & Television Studies
Maeve Eberhardt, Linguistics
Tina Escaja, Gender, Sexuality, & Women’s Studies and Romance Languages & Linguistics
Amber Doiron, Electrical & Biomedical Engineering
Joshua Farley, Community Development & Applied Economics
David Feurzeig, Music & Dance
Brendan Fisher, Environmental Program, Rubenstein School of the Environment & Natural Resources
Yolanda Flores, Romance Languages & Linguistics
John Forbes, Theatre
Alice Fothergill, Sociology
Pamela Fraser, Art & Art History
Shirley Gedeon, Economics
John Gennari, English and Critical Race & Ethnic Studies
Joel Goldberg, Chemistry
Laura Haines, UVM Libraries
Paula Higa, Music & Dance
Laura Hill, Plant Biology
Jinny Huh, Critical Race & Ethnic Studies and English
Maria Hummel, English
Deborah Hunter, Higher Education & Student Affairs
Kyle Ikeda, Asian Languages and Literatures
Kirsten Isgro, Medical Laboratory & Radiation Sciences
Didi Jackson, English
Major Jackson, English
David A. Jones, Business
Vijay Kanagala, Higher Education & Student Affairs
Julia Katsnelson, German & Russian
Kate Kenny, German & Russian
Colby Kervick, Education
Mary Louise Kete, English
Nikki Khanna, Sociology
Felicia Kornbluh, History and Gender, Sexuality, & Women’s Studies
Eric Lindstrom, English
Andrea Lini, Geology
Matt Liptak, Chemistry
Annika Ljung-Baruth, Gender, Sexuality, & Women’s Studies and English
Don Loeb, Philosophy
Lokangaka Losambe, English
Trina Magi, UVM Libraries
Teresa Mares, Anthropology
Patricia Mardeusz, UVM Libraries
Lili Martin, Nursing
Brooke McCorkle, Music & Dance
Elaine McCrate, Economics
Margaret McDevitt, Art & Art History
Anis Memon, Romance Languages & Linguistics
Libby Miles, English
Beth Mintz, Sociology
Rachel Montesano, Romance Languages & Linguistics
Ana Morales-Williams, Rubenstein School of the Environment & Natural Resources
Charles-Louis Morand Métivier, Romance Languages & Linguistics
Harlan Morehouse, Geography
Helen Morgan-Parmett, Theatre
Ilyse R. Morgenstein Fuerst, Religion
Dianna Murray-Close, Psychological Science
Garrison Nelson, Political Science
Ingrid L. Nelson, Geography
Hilary Neroni, Film & Television Studies
Frank Nicosia, History and Holocaust Studies
Sarah Nilsen, Film & Television Studies
Deb Noel, English
Trish O’Kane, Rubenstein School of the Environment & Natural Resources
Amy O’Meara, Nursing
Holly Painter, English
Fiona Patterson, Social Work
Melissa Pespeni, Biology
Jane Petrillo, Community Development & Applied Economics
Elizabeth Pinel, Psychological Science
John Pirone, American Sign Language
Paolo Pucci, Romance Languages & Linguistics
Ann Pugh, Social Work
Donna Ramirez Harrington, Economics
Helen Read, Mathematics & Statistics
Dana Riger, Human Development & Family Studies
Patricia Riley, Music & Dance
Julie Roberts, Romance Languages & Linguistics
Kathleen Ross, Communication Sciences & Disorders
Malcolm M. Sanders, Physics
Scott Schaffer, UVM Libraries
Alice Schermerhorn, Psychological Science
Kathleen Scollins, German & Russian
Helen Scott, English
Jeanne Shea, Anthropology
Riin Sirkel, Philosophy
Lacey M. Sloan, Social Work
Brenda Solomon, Social Work
Peter Spitzform, UVM Libraries
Patrick Standen, Rehabilitation & Movement Science
Thomas Streeter, Sociology
Bridget Swanson, German & Russian
Eric Testroet, Animal & Veterinary Sciences
Martin Thaler, Theater
Brian Tokar, Environmental Studies
Regina Toolin, Education
Sarah Turner, English
Chris Vaccaro, English
Christine Velez, Social Work
John V. Waldron, Romance Languages & Linguistics
Eric von Wettberg, Plant & Soil Science
Laura Webb, Geology
Jacqueline Weinstock, Human Development & Family Studies
Nancy Welch, English
Jenny Wilkinson, Animal & Veterinary Sciences
Jamie Williamson, English
Sean A. Witters, English
Hyon Joo Yoo, Film & Television Studies