Justice Brett Goes To High School Reunion, Class Praised For Its 'Loyalty'

The old boys network congratulates itself for helping an alleged sexual predator get a promotion.

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(Photo By Michael Reynolds-Pool/Getty Images)

What happened at Georgetown Prep this weekend was gross, but I’ve come to expect no better from privileged white boys and the institutions that create them.

Brett Kavanaugh, Supreme Court Justice and man who has been credibly accused of attempted rape, decided to go to his high school reunion this weekend. You know, the high school he was attending while he allegedly tried to rape Dr. Christine Blasey Ford. A more discreet man might have skipped the event all together. I mean, I don’t even go to every high school reunion because I’m a grown-ass man. But then again, my professional project is not to foist the values of my preppy high school upon the unwilling world. Kavanaugh going to his high school reunion at Georgetown Prep is entirely on-brand for him and the culture of rape and misogyny that he now represents.

The reaction Kavanaugh received at Georgetown Prep was also totally on-brand for an institution that creates and caters to white male privilege. From the New York Times:

During halftime at Georgetown Preparatory School’s homecoming football game on Saturday, a group of students swiped through photos on their phones as they waited in a long line for burgers and fries. One sandy-haired boy tapped his latest image: a selfie with Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh, the newest member of the Supreme Court and an alumnus of Georgetown Prep, Class of 1983…

At one point during the football game, Justice Kavanaugh prepared to pose for a picture with former classmates. First, though, he instructed everyone to put down their beers, according to a person who witnessed the exchange. (Justice Kavanaugh didn’t appear to be drinking.)

After the Hoyas’ victory, scores of classmates, spouses and friends from the era gathered for a night of drinking and reminiscing at the nearby Pinstripes bistro and bowling venue.

To understand how taking selfies with an accused rapist seems like a good idea, you have to put yourself in the mind of these Georgetown Prep people. No matter what Kavanaugh is accused of doing, he has power now. And power is the thing that these people have been trained to glom onto, almost since birth.

Of course Kavanaugh was treated like a conquering hero when he was on-campus. He is. He represents the ultimate proof that people will still treat you like you hit a home run even if you start on third base. He is the triumph of taking what you want and ignoring the concerns of your victims. He has outrun all of his past transgressions right into a job he can’t be fired from. He’s what every Georgetown Prep white boy has been told they can be someday.

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And if you think the school itself would be embarrassed by its association with a man who allegedly likes to get drunk and whip his dick out at women who didn’t ask to see it, think again. The most disturbing comment in the Times report comes from the president of the school.

Justice Kavanaugh skipped the evening event — but his presence loomed large. Addressing the crowd, Georgetown Prep’s recently appointed president, the Rev. James R. Van Dyke, noted how the firestorm around the nomination had united the Class of 1983 and the entire school.

“You guys, the Class of 1983, are in some ways my first class,” said Father Van Dyke, according to a recording obtained by The New York Times, noting how “we’ve been all thrown into the mix together.” He added that “I have heard so many of your names.”

Again his voice was drowned out by a chorus of whooping and cheering, as the crowd screamed some of those names: “Squi!” “P.J.!” That would be Patrick J. Smyth, another classmate whom Dr. Blasey said was at the party where she was assaulted. Mr. Smyth was at the Pinstripes event.

Father Van Dyke lauded “the loyalty that you have had to each other, the way that you have looked after each other, and not just in the big stories but also a lot of small stories.”

Loyalty. That’s what was praised. Not truthfulness. Not moral behavior. Not commitment to making the world a better place. But bald, tribal loyalty.

The next Brett Kavanaugh is on his way, folks. Georgetown Prep knows exactly how to make them.

Back at Georgetown Prep, Kavanaugh Is Hailed as a Hero [New York Times]

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