Confirmation Page #6

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nor will I submit to roving questions

of what goes on

in the most intimate parts of my private life

or the sanctity of my bedroom.

These are the most intimate parts

of my privacy.

And they will remain just that.

Private.

JOE:
Thank you, Judge.

You will not be asked to.

Um...

What's he doing?

Realizing unless we can

introduce Hill's affidavit,

he's got nothing to ask Thomas about.

JOE:
Before I begin my questioning,

um, Judge, I just want to point out

to the Committee

that we are somewhat limited

to permissible questions at this stage.

- Limited why?

- I understand, as recently as late last night,

Professor Hill has asked us to maintain

the confidentiality of her statement.

- I said no such thing.

- I know.

Hmm.

This is an open forum

in the nomination process

to allow her attorneys or her...

I said I'd present my statement myself

when I testified.

Biden changed the rules.

He can't blame this on me.

I'm calling him.

Now that this man's reputation

has been very badly hurt...

- Senator, would you please yield?

- I'm not finished yet.

She wants to tell her own tale

and maintain the confidentiality,

I gather from

Chairman Biden's description of this.

CHARLES:
Biden just misrepresented

my client as not being forthcoming.

If he had stuck with the plan

for her to go first,

we would not be having this problem.

This is not her doing.

Well, if Professor Hill would just allow

for her affidavit to be released,

then they'd be able to

question Judge Thomas.

No. No. That was never the plan.

The plan was for her to present her charges

in person, which she is fully prepared to do.

Okay, well, then I guess we need her here

at the Senate building now.

And you need to have Biden clarify this now.

Fine, yes, just get her over here.

Orrin Hatch of the Republican minority side

of the Committee is, for the moment,

taking charge of the Committee.

This is just an extraordinary development.

When you have a member

of a Senate Committee saying

"If you don't allow

a certain procedure to take place,

"I'm gonna resign from the Committee

and quit," as Senator Hatch just did,

now, that doesn't happen up here every day.

(INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS)

Hearing will come to order.

Committee has resolved the impasse

the following way.

Professor Hill has indicated on the telephone

that she is prepared to release her statement.

- (REPORTERS CLAMORING)

- We will excuse temporarily Judge Thomas,

and we will call momentarily,

as a witness, Anita Hill.

Professor Hill will be sworn

and will make her own statement

in her own words.

MAN:
You did good.

(REPORTERS CLAMORING)

- Is there a room set aside for Professor Hill?

- Not that I know of, sir.

- Then find us one, damn it.

- Yes, sir.

(REPORTERS CLAMORING)

Thanks.

Not exactly concerned about

my comfort, are they?

Don't worry about that. You'll be fine.

(SIREN WAILING IN DISTANCE)

Why are you doing this?

I've got students more qualified than Thomas.

Plus, I believe you.

What about tenure?

Hell, in 24 hours,

I'll be able to get any job I want.

(CHUCKLES) F*** tenure.

(KNOCKING ON DOOR)

Come in.

Professor, they're ready for you now.

Thank you.

(REPORTERS CLAMORING)

(SIGHS)

(CAMERAS CLICKING)

Hearing will come to order.

Welcome, Professor.

We thank you on behalf of the Committee for

making time for this. I know it wasn't easy,

and we appreciate that.

Uh, please stand to be sworn in.

Do you swear to tell the truth,

the whole truth, and nothing

but the truth, so help you God?

- I do.

- Okay.

Go ahead, then,

with your opening statement, please.

- Mr. Chairman...

- Excuse me. Excuse me.

I'm going to instruct the officers to not

let anybody in or out of those doors

while Professor Hill is making

this opening statement, please.

Can we do that?

(DOOR CLOSING)

Mr. Chairman,

Senator Thurmond,

members of the Committee.

My name is Anita F. Hill,

and I am a professor of law

at the University of Oklahoma.

I was born on a farm

in Okmulgee County, Oklahoma, in 1956.

I'm the youngest of 13 children.

(DOOR CLOSING)

During this period

at the Department of Education...

- Are you watching in there?

- I'm not gonna watch at all.

But when they bring you back,

they'll assume that you saw it.

They can assume whatever they like.

I've heard enough of these lies.

After approximately three months

of working there,

he asked me to go out socially with him.

What happened next

and telling the world about it

are two of the most difficult things...

Experiences of my life.

My working relationship

became even more strained

when Judge Thomas began to use

work situations to discuss sex.

He spoke about acts that he had seen

in pornographic films

involving such matters

as women having sex with animals

and films showing group sex or rape scenes.

- (EXHALES)

- He talked about pornographic materials

depicting individuals with large penises

- or large breasts involved in various sex acts.

- (TELEPHONE RINGING)

On several occasions, Thomas told me

graphically of his own sexual prowess.

Because I was extremely uncomfortable

talking about sex with him at all

and particularly in such a graphic way,

I told him that I did not want

- to talk about these subjects.

- (TELEPHONE RINGING)

Somebody answer those.

I would also try to change the subject

to education matters

or to nonsexual personal matters,

such as his background or his beliefs.

My efforts to change the subject

were rarely successful.

During the latter part of my time

at the Department of Education,

the social pressures

and his offensive behavior ended.

I began both to believe and hope

that our working relationship could be

a proper, cordial, and professional one.

When Judge Thomas was made

chair of the EEOC,

I needed to face the question

of whether to go with him.

I was asked to do so, and I did.

The work itself was interesting

and at that time it appeared

that the sexual overtures

which had so troubled me had ended.

However, during the fall and winter of 1982,

these began again.

One of the oddest episodes I remember

was an occasion

in which Thomas was drinking a Coke

in his office.

He got up from the table

at which we were working,

went over to his desk to get a Coke,

looked at the can, and asked,

"Who has put pubic hair on my Coke?"

On other occasions,

he referred to the size of his own penis

as being larger than normal,

and he also spoke of the pleasures

he had given to women

with oral sex.

(SIGHS)

Finally, he made a comment

that I will vividly remember.

He said that if I ever told anyone

of his behavior,

that it would ruin his career.

I have no personal vendetta

against Clarence Thomas.

I seek only to provide the Committee

with information

which it may regard as relevant.

It would have been more comfortable

to remain silent.

I took no initiative to inform anyone,

but when I was asked

by a representative of this Committee

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