University photo Christine Blasey Ford.
In a Google document that’s now been widely shared, hundreds of alumnae from 1967 through to present day students from Holton-Arms School are preparing an open letter of support for Dr. Christine Blasey Ford. But it’s more than an entreaty for their fellow alumnae, it’s a bold statement that not only do they believe her, a number too have been sexually harassed or assaulted themselves. The letter proposed to be sent to media in the coming days, has writers saying they admire her courage in coming forward.
“We hold deep gratitude to Dr. Blasey Ford for bravely stepping forward and bringing us closer to that world we all seek,” the letter closes with and then is signed, “Sincerely, Holton Alumae in Support of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford. A group of 200+ alumnae from the classes of 1967-2018”
Politico reported the letter is not affiliated with school’s alumnae office adding an individual alumna, Sarah Burgess, started the letter.
Blasey Ford graduated from the Bethesda, Maryland all-female private college prep school in 1984. She alleges that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh tried to rape her in 1982 when she was just 15. She first spoke of the incident in a therapy session a few years ago. This summer, she sent a letter to Rep. Anna Eshoo who gave it to Sen. Dianne Feinstein, that described what happened. In August, Blasey Ford took a polygraph test administered by a former FBI agent, who said she was being truthful.
It was the summer of 1982; she was 15 and Kavanaugh was 17. She alleges that when she was 15 and he was 17. She told The Washington Post that, Kavanaugh, with another boy there, both drunk, pinned her to a bed, pressed his body on her and groped her, covered her mouth as she tried to scream and started trying to get her clothes off when the other teenage boy leaped on the bed, the three fell and she escaped. She gave the Post notes from her therapy session and took the lie detector test. In a story in The Washington Post and in The New Yorker and other media, Blasey Ford was not named.
On Sunday, she stepped forward but has since kept a very low profile.
Here’s the letter:
“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 to Dr. Blasey Ford for bravely stepping forward and bringing us closer to that world we all seek.
Sincerely,
Holton Alumae in Support of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford
A group of 200+ alumnae from the classes of 1967-2018
At the bottom of the document, women who were emailed the letter were told if they signed, their names would be public.
“The above letter will be submitted to media outlets within the next few days, and may be published. Please write your name and graduating year below if you would like to add your name (names of signers may be made public).”
READ NEXT: Christine Blasey Ford’s High School Years