Heather Gerken, dean of Yale Law School, wrote a letter to the school Thursday expressing her “enormous concern” over stories that Yale faculty would coach female students to adopt the “certain look” Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh wanted for his law clerks when he was a federal judge.
According to a Thursday NBC report, she also urged anyone else with similar experiences to come forward.
“I strongly encourage any members of our community who have been affected by misconduct to take advantage of Yale University’s resources for reporting incidents and receiving support,” Gerken wrote in the letter. “The Law School has a responsibility to provide a safe environment in which all of our students can live and learn in a community of mutual respect, free of harassment of any kind.”
Originally reported by the Huffington Post and expanded by the Guardian, female law students said that professor Amy Chua would advise them to adopt a “model-like” appearance before interviewing for a Kavanaugh clerkship, as it would heighten their chances of getting picked. Her husband, professor Jed Rubenfeld, also reportedly advised students that Kavanaugh “hires women with a certain look.”
Per NBC, Chua penned an op-ed in the Wall Street in July entitled “Kavanaugh is a Mentor to Women” in which she praises him for being so helpful in furthering the careers of women, including her daughter.
