英语演讲：Opening Statement.doc

演讲稿 英语演讲：opening statement openingstatement: sexualharrassmenthearings concerningjudgeclarencethomas mr.chairman,senatorthurmond,membersofthemittee,mynameisanitaf.hill,andiamaprofessoroflawattheuniversityofoklahoma.iwasbornonafarminokmulgeecounty,oklahoma,in1956.iamtheyoungestof13children.ihadmyearlyeducationinokmulgeecounty.myfather,alberthill,isafarmerinthatarea.mymothersnameisirmahill.sheisalsoafarmerandahousewife.mychildhoodwasoneofalotofhardworkandnotmuchmoney,butitwasoneofsolidfamilyaffection,asrepresentedbymyparents.iwasrearedinareligiousatmosphereinthebaptistfaith,andihavebeenamemberoftheantiochbaptistchurchintulsa,oklahoma,since1983.itisaverywarmpartofmylifeatthepresenttime.formyundergraduatework,iwenttooklahomastateuniversityandgraduatedfromtherein1977.iamattachingtothisstatementacopyofmyresumeforfurtherdetailsofmyeducation.igraduatedfromtheuniversitywithacademichonorsandproceededtotheyalelawschool,whereireceivedmyjddegreein1980.upongraduationfromlawschool,ibecameapracticinglawyerwiththewashington,dc,firmofward,hardraker,andross.in1981,iwasintroducedtonowjudgethomasbyamutualfriend.judgethomastoldmethathewasanticipatingapoliticalappointment,andheaskedifiwouldbeinterestedinworkingwithhim.hewas,infact,appointedasassistantsecretaryofeducationforcivilrights.afterhehadtakenthatpost,heaskedifiwouldbeehisassistant,andiacceptedthatposition.inmyearlyperiodthere,ihadtwomajorprojects.thefirstwasanarticleiwroteforjudgethomassignatureontheeducationofminoritystudents.thesecondwastheorganizationofaseminaronhigh-riskstudentswhichwasabandonedbecausejudgethomastransferredtotheeeocwherehebecamethechairmanofthatoffice.duringthisperiodatthedepartmentofeducation,myworkingrelationshipwithjudgethomaswaspositive.ihadagooddealofresponsibilityandindependence.ithoughtherespectedmyworkandthathetrustedmyjudgment.afterapproximatelythreemonthsofworkingthere,heaskedmetogooutsociallywithhim.whathappenednextandtellingtheworldaboutitarethetwomostdifficultthings-experiencesofmylife.itisonlyafteragreatdealofagonizingconsiderationandsleeplessnumber-agreatnumberofsleeplessnightsthatiamabletotalkoftheseunpleasantmatterstoanyonebutmyclosefriends.ideclinedtheinvitationtogooutsociallywithhimandexplainedtohimthatithoughtitwouldjeopardizewhatatthetimeiconsideredtobeaverygoodworkingrelationship.ihadanormalsociallifewithothermenoutsideoftheoffice.ibelievedthen,asnow,thathavingasocialrelationshipwithapersonwhowassupervisingmyworkwouldbeill-advised.iwasveryunfortablewiththeideaandtoldhimso.ithoughtthatbysayingnoandexplainingmyreasonsmyemployerwouldabandonhissocialsuggestions.however,tomyregret,inthefollowingfewweeks,hecontinuedtoaskmeoutonseveraloccasions.hepressedmetojustifymyreasonsforsayingnotohim.theseincidentstookplaceinhisofficeormine.theywereintheformofprivateconversationswhichwouldnothavebeenoverheardbyanyoneelse.myworkingrelationshipbecameevenmorestrainedwhenjudgethomasbegantouseworksituationstodiscusssex.ontheseoccasions,hewouldcallmeintohisofficeforreportsoneducationissuesandprojects,orhemightsuggestthat,becauseofthetimepressuresofhisschedule,wegotolunchtoagovernmentcafeteria.afterabriefdiscussionofwork,hewouldturntheconversationtoadiscussionofsexualmatters.hisconversationswereveryvivid.hespokeaboutactsthathehadseeninpornographicfilmsinvolvingsuchmattersaswomenhavingsexwithanimalsandfilmsshowinggroupsexorrapescenes.hetalkedaboutpornographicmaterialsdepictingindividualswithlargepenisesorlargebreastsinvolvedinvarioussexacts.onseveraloccasions,thomastoldmegraphicallyofhisownsexualprowess.becauseiwasextremelyunfortabletalkingaboutsexwithhimatallandparticularlyinsuchagraphicway,itoldhimthatididnotwanttotalkaboutthesesubjects.iwouldalsotrytochangethesubjecttoeducationmattersortononsexualpersonalmatterssuchashisbackgroundorhisbeliefs.myeffortstochangethesubjectwererarelysuccessful.throughouttheperiodoftheseconversations,healsofromtimetotimeaskedmeforsocialengagements.myreactiontotheseconversationswastoavoidthembyeliminatingopportunitiesforustoengageinextendedconversations.thiswasdifficultbecauseatthetimeiwashisonlyassistantattheofficeofeducation-orofficeforcivilrights.duringthelatterpartofmytimeatthedepartmentofeducation,thesocialpressuresandanyconversationofhisoffensivebehaviorended.ibeganbothtobelieveandhopethatourworkingrelationshipcouldbeaproper,cordial,andprofessionalone.whenjudgethomaswasmadechairoftheeeoc,ineededtofacethequestionofwhethertogowithhim.iwasaskedtodoso,andidid.theworkitselfwasinteresting,andatthattimeitappearedthatthesexualovertureswhichhadsotroubledmehadended.ialsofacedtherealisticfactthatihadnoalternativejob.whileimighthavegonebacktoprivatepractice,perhapsinmyoldfirmoratanother,iwasdedicatedtocivilrightswork,andmyfirstchoicewastobeinthatfield.moreover,thedepartmentofeducationitselfwasadubiousventure.presidentreaganwasseekingtoabolishtheentiredepartment.formyfirstmonthsattheeeoc,whereicontinuedtobeanassistanttojudgethomas,therewerenosexualconversationsorovertures.however,duringthefallandwinterof1982,thesebeganagain.thementswererandomandrangedfrompressingmeaboutwhyididntgooutwithhimtoremarksaboutmypersonalappearance.irememberhissayingthatsomedayiwouldhavetotellhimtherealreasonthatiwouldntgooutwithhim.hebegantoshowdispleasureinhistoneandvoiceandhisdemeanorandhiscontinuedpressureforanexplanation.hementedonwhatiwaswearingintermsofwhetheritmadememoreorlesssexuallyattractive.theincidentsoccurredinhisinnerofficeattheeeoc.oneoftheoddestepisodesirememberwasanoccasioninwhichthomaswasdrinkingacokeinhisoffice.hegotupfromthetableatwhichwewereworking,wentovertohisdesktogetthecoke,lookedatthecanandasked,whohaspubichaironmycoke?onotheroccasions,hereferredtothesizeofhisownpenisasbeinglargerthannormal,andhealsospokeonsomeoccasionsofthepleasureshehadgiventowomenwithoralsex.atthispoint,late1982,ibegantofeelseverestressonthejob.ibegantobeconcernedthatclarencethomasmighttakeouthisangerwithmebydegradingmeornotgivingmeimportantassignments.ialsothoughtthathemightfindanexcusefordismissingme.injanuaryof1983,ibeganlookingforanotherjob.iwashandicappedbecauseifearedthat,ifhefoundout,hemightmakeitdifficultformetofindotheremploymentandimightbedismissedfromthejobihad.anotherfactorthatmademysearchmoredifficultwasthattherewasaperiod-thiswasduringaperiodofahiringfreezeinthegovernment.infebruaryof1983,iwashospitalizedforfivedaysonanemergencybasisforacutestomachpainwhichiattributedtostressonthejob.onceoutofthehospital,ibecamemoremittedtofindotheremploymentandsoughtfurthertominimizemycontactwiththomas.thisbecameeasierwhenallisonduncan(sp)becameofficedirector,becausemostofmyworkwasthenfunneledthroughherandihadcontactwithclarencethomasmostlyinstaffmeetings.inthespringof1983,anopportunitytoteachatoralrobertsuniversityopenedup.iparticipatedinaseminar-taughtanafternoonsessionandseminaratoralrobertsuniversity.thedeanoftheuniversitysawmeteachingandinquiredastowhetheriwouldbeinterestedinfurthering-pursuingacareerinteaching,beginningatoralrobertsuniversity.iagreedtotakethejobinlargepartbecauseofmydesiretoescapethepressuresifeltattheeeocduetojudgethomas.wheniinformedhimthatiwasleavinginjuly,irecallthathisresponsewasthatnowiwouldnolongerhaveanexcusefornotgoingoutwithhim.itoldhimthatistillpreferrednottodoso.atsometimeafterthatmeeting,heaskedifhecouldtakemetodinnerattheendoftheterm.whenideclined,heassuredmethatthedinnerwasaprofessionalcourtesyonlyandnotasocialinvitation.ireluctantlyagreedtoacceptthatinvitation,butonlyifitwasattheeveryendofaworkingday.on,asirecall,thelastdayofmyemploymentattheeeocinthesummerof1983,ididhavedinnerwithclarencethomas.wewentdirectlyfromworktoarestaurantneartheoffice.wetalkedabouttheworkihaddone,bothateducationandattheeeoc.hetoldmethathewaspleasedwithallofitexceptforanarticleandspeechthatihaddoneforhimwhilewewereattheofficeforcivilrights.finally,hemadeamentthatiwillvividlyremember.hesaidthatifievertoldanyoneofhisbehaviorthatitwouldruinhiscareer.thiswasnotanapology,norwasitanexplanation.thatwashislastremarkaboutthepossibilityofourgoingoutorreferencetohisbehavior.injulyof1983,ileftwashington,dcareaandhavehadminimalcontactwithjudgeclarencethomassince.iamofcourseawarefromthepressthatsomequestionshavebeenraisedaboutconversationsihadwithjudgeclarencethomasafterilefttheeeoc.from1983untiltoday,ihaveseenjudgethomasonlytwice.ononeoccasion,ineededtogetareferencefromhim,andonanotherhemadeapublicappearanceintulsa.ononeoccasionhecalledmeathomeandwehadaninconsequentialconversation.ononeoccasionhecalledmewithoutreachingme,andireturnedthecallwithoutreachinghim,andnothingcameofit.ihaveonatleastthreeoccasions,beenaskedtoactasaconduittohimforothers.iknewhissecretary,dianeholt.wehadworkedtogetheratbotheeocandeducation.therewereoccasionsonwhichispoketoher,andonsomeoftheseoccasionsundoubtedlyipassedonsomecasualmenttothenchairmanthomas.therewereaseriesofcallsinthefirstthreemonthsof1985,occasionedbyagroupintulsa,whichwishedtohaveacivilrightsconference.theywantedjudgethomastobethespeakerandenlistedmyassistanceforthispurpose.ididcallinjanuaryandfebruarytonoeffect,andfinallysuggestedtothepersondirectlyinvolved,susancahal(ph)thatsheputthematterintoherownhandsandcalldirectly.shedidsoinmarchof1985.inconnectionwiththatmarchinvitation,ms.cahal(ph)wantedconferencematerialsfortheseminarandsomeresearchwasneeded.iwasaskedtotrytogettheinformationanddidattemptedtodoso.therewasanothercallaboutanotherpossibleconferenceinjulyof1985.inaugustof1987,iwasinwashington,dcandididcalldianeholt.inthecourseofthisconversation,sheaskedmehowlongiwasgoingtobeintownanditoldher.itisrecordedinthemessageasaugust15.itwas,infact,august20th.shetoldmeaboutjudgethomassmarriageandididsaycongratulatehim.itisonlyafteragreatdealofagonizingconsiderationthatiamabletotalkoftheseunpleasantmatterstoanyoneexceptmyclosestfriends.asivesaidbeforetheselastf