Monday before the vote, Brie Franklin, the executive director of the Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault, called out Gardner for his flip-flop from 2016 about election-year appointments and called on him “to have the integrity to stand by his words.”
“The new Justice holds extreme positions on health care and the Affordable Care Act, discrimination on the basis of race and sex, and reproductive health and rights. Although she was careful to say virtually nothing of consequence in her hearings, the fact is that she has a long record proving her views are out of the mainstream,” Franklin said after the vote. “I know her record, and I am frightened. She tilts the scales of justice against survivors of campus sexual assault, including men and boys.
“We know that the Supreme Court is likely to hear cases in the coming months and years that will further determine whether schools can take meaningful action to address and prevent sexual misconduct. With Justice Barrett on the bench, we can expect even fewer protections for all men, women, non-binary, and trans people in schools — and beyond.”