Ex-Law Prof Who Once Dated Clarence Thomas Now Supports Anita Hill
A former law professor and administrative law judge who once dated Justice Clarence Thomas never came forward to support Anita Hill … until now.
Lillian McEwen told the Washington Post that Thomas often said inappropriate things about women he met at work, and Hill’s accusations that he asked for dates and made sexual comments in the workplace rang familiar.
“He was always actively watching the women he worked with to see if they could be potential partners,” McEwen told the newspaper. “It was a hobby of his.” He also enjoyed pornography, McEwen said, and would talk about what he had seen.
McEwen admits that she hopes new attention to Hill’s sexual harassment accusations will interest publishers in a memoir she has written, the Post says. McEwen had dated Thomas between 1981 and 1986, and was the woman Thomas mentioned in his confirmation hearing when he asserted his steady relationship with her to deflect Hill’s allegations. McEwen also admits she is increasingly irritated by Thomas’ conservative jurisprudence. Still, she told the Post, she has no hostility toward him.
“It is just that he has manufactured a different reality over time,” she said. “That’s the problem that he has.”
Hill’s accusations were back in the news this week after news reports revealed that Thomas’ wife, Virginia Thomas, left a phone message for Anita Hill asking her to apologize.
The Post contacted Supreme Court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg, who said Thomas was not available for comment.
