Anita Hill Won't Apologize To Clarence Thomas
WALTHAM (CBS) -- Anita Hill left her home in Waltham Wednesday morning and had little to say about the phone call from the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.
"I need to get off this street and I don't want anybody to get hurt," she said. "I don't have any comment right now. Please, let me go teach my class."
Hill is back in the spotlight, 19 years after she testified at Thomas' nomination hearings.
She nearly derailed his chance at the high court accusing her former employer of making inappropriate sexual remarks, allegations that apparently still sting.
Thomas' wife Virginia called Hill last weekend at her Brandeis University office to ask for an apology.
In the voicemail message Mrs. Thomas said:
"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 come to understand why you did what you did. OK, have a good day," Thomas said.
When Hill heard the voicemail, she contacted Brandeis' public safety office, which in turn informed the FBI.
She is also refusing to apologize to Clarence Thomas.
In a statement, Virginia Thomas said she did not intend to offend Hill.
"I did place a call to Ms. Hill at her office extending an olive branch to her after all these years, in hopes that we could ultimately get passed what happened so long ago. That offer still stands, I would be very happy to meet and talk with her if she would be willing to do the same," Thomas said.
Andrew Gully, a spokesman for Brandeis, said the school "completely supports" Hill's decision to alert campus security about the call. There was concern initially that it was a prank.
He said Wednesday was "a routine day" on campus.
"We've moved beyond it," he said. "We're finished on this end."
