On September 11th, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh visited McLennan Community College (MCC) as part of the Ken Starr Lecture Series. His visit drew a packed auditorium of students, professors, and local residents—as well as a line of protestors voicing their opposition to Justice Kavanaugh’s recent Supreme Court Rulings.
Justice Kavanaugh’s appearance consisted of a private conversation and a public event. He engaged with a limited number of students from MCC, five Tarleton State Honors students, and five students from the Baylor Honors College. Later that evening, Justice Kavanaugh addressed the public at MCC through a conversation moderated by MCC Professor Ashley Cruseturner. There were 2,500 seats reserved for the public event.
Alice Starr, the wife of former Federal Judge and Solicitor General Kenneth Starr, provided opening remarks at the event. Mrs. Starr noted her long-standing relationship with Justice Kavanaugh, sharing that “It was on 9/11/2001, 24 years ago today, that my husband, Ken, and I were to have lunch at the White House mess with Brett Kavanaugh.” Justice Kavanaugh worked under Kenneth Starr during his time as Associate Counsel in the Office of Independent Counsel. “Judge Kavanaugh is a man of complete integrity. Although his credentials are elite, he could not be more humble or more friendly and kind to others,” acclaimed Alice Starr.
The Justice spoke on topics ranging from the role of the judiciary and the brilliance of the U.S. Constitution to his friendship with President G.W. Bush. “I think the genius of the Constitution is its separation of powers,” said Kavanaugh, “[the separation of powers] protects individual liberty by dividing powers, preventing concentration of power, and thereby ensuring that each person can live in liberty.” Justice Kavanaugh likened his role in the Supreme Court to that of a referee, noting that it is the role of the Judiciary to act as an umpire for the “teams,” or rather, the political parties. He said, “One of the things that makes a good umpire or a referee among others is consistency—calling it the same way for both teams.”
“One of the things that makes a good umpire or a referee among others is consistency—calling it the same way for both teams.”
Professor Cruseturner asked if there is a “sense among the justices that some cases are more important than others, that some are going to be more controversial than others, and some are going to be more contested than others? And what’s that like?” Justice Kavanaugh responded by outlining the important balance between remaining steadfast in decisions and being open to learning from the public. “You’ve got to not be afraid,” noted Kavanaugh, “You can’t worry about criticism. But at the same time, you can’t tune out responsible critiques. I always want to do better tomorrow than I did today, every day. I want the court to always do better.”
The Justice recalled how he learned some of his most valuable lessons in leadership. He pointed to one of his favorite books, To Kill a Mockingbird, and an insight from his elementary school teacher. “He said the lesson [in] To Kill a Mockingbird was standing in someone else’s shoes. And that’s a reminder to me. I think to be a good judge, to be a good person, to be a good citizen, we all have to stand in each other’s shoes to understand different perspectives.”
Justice Kavanaugh is well-known for his dedication to the Catholic faith. When asked a question regarding how he balances his faith with his duty as a judge, he explained, “my faith is central to me, my personal [life], but I take an oath to apply the Constitution and laws of the United States without regarding what my faith might dictate, what my moral views might be, what my policy might be.” His faith is “very helpful in reminding [him] of the bigger picture of life” and reinforcing how he operates and treats other people. However, Justice Kavanaugh emphasized the importance of an independent, impartial judiciary whose responsibility it is to say what the law is, not what it ought to be.
Justice Kavanaugh emphasized the importance of an independent, impartial judiciary whose responsibility it is to say what the law is, not what it ought to be.
The audience reacted very positively to Justice Kavanaugh throughout his conversation, even giving him a standing ovation at one point. Outside of the auditorium, however, was a line of protestors gathered with signs that read “We will not be quiet” and “Women’s rights = human rights” among others.
Jay Gordan Mitchell, a local resident who is running for the Texas Senate, was among the protestors. He voiced his frustration with the recent Supreme Court rulings, saying that “You do not get to legislate and dictate and direct policy or have policy directed by the executive branch to you, that’s not your job. Your job is to be the checks and balances.”
The protest was promoted by several community and university organizations, including Waco Friends of the Climate and The College Democrats of Baylor. Baylor senior and President of The College Democrats of Baylor, J.W. Lastrape, commented on his involvement with the protest. He conveyed his dissatisfaction with the ICE deportations and the Supreme Court’s rulings on executive authority. He said “It seems like your goal isn’t to follow the law, your goal is to be vindictive and punish people, which for Christians I would expect better, but you know, it is what it is.”
Supreme Court Justices seldom make public appearances, let alone host private conversations and public speaking events at community colleges. Most notable in recent history, McLennan Community College hosted Justice Clarence Thomas in 2017.
