No Statute of Limitations on Slander

Ginny Thomas, wife of Justice Clarence Thomas, may be willing to forgive, but she doesn’t forget. A few weeks ago Mrs. Thomas called Anita Hill and left this message on her voicemail :

Good morning Anita Hill, it’s Ginni Thomas. I just wanted to reach across the airwaves and the years and ask you to consider something. I would love you to consider an apology sometime and some full explanation of why you did what you did with my husband.

So give it some thought. And certainly pray about this and hope that one day you will help us understand why you did what you did. O.K., have a good day.

Good for her. Hill made accusations that her own actions showed were not credible (see below). While she owes the entire country an explanation for why she attempted to subvert the judicial nomination process for political reasons, Hill needs to provide a sincere apology to Justice Thomas. It may be nineteen years late, but there is no statute of limitations when you slander a man’s reputation.

For those who have forgotten why Hill’s testimony shouldn’t be considered credible, consider:

Anita Hill, a graduate of Yale Law school, claimed that Judge Clarence Thomas had sexually harassed her while she worked as his assistant at the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission (EEOC). Although she was a lawyer from a prestigious Ivy League school, Hill was apparently not aware of the proper ways to bring a sexual harassment complaint. (And, as everyone knows, the EEOC is the last place you’d find information on sexual harassment.)

So Hill did what any gutsy, spunky assertive women would do in her situation. She marched right in to Judge Thomas’ office and asked him to write her a letter of recommendation so she could get a teaching job at Oral Roberts University. Then she waited ten years and accused Thomas in a quiet, private forum called the U.S. Senate.

Only Hill and Thomas know with absolute certainty whether her accusations are true. But Ms. Hill’s actions certainly undermine her credibility and show that she isn’t a woman of integrity.