sexually harassed her while she worked for him in
Washington. The all-male committee was recon-
vened to hold hearings on these charges. Both Hill
and Thomas testified, giving very different views
about their work relationships. The televised hear-
ings were filled with charges and countercharges,
and many felt that the hearings were a discredit to a
number of the participants, including some senators
on the committee. Thomas was ultimately con-
firmed by the Senate by a 52-48 vote, the closest vote
for a Supreme Court nominee in the twentieth cen-
tury.
Thomas was sworn in as associate justice on Octo-
ber 18, 1991. For the most part, his votes on issues be-
fore the Court were of a conservative nature. Indeed,
he was considered one of the most conservative jus-
tices on the Court. Thomas generally voted to limit
women’s access to abortions, against the position of
civil rights activists, and in favor of the government
in criminal cases.Impact Thomas’s nomination, hearing, and con-
firmation motivated many women to become more
politically active. The defeat of at least one senator
who voted for Thomas, who lost to a female chal-
lenger in a primary election, was attributed to this
reaction. The issue of workplace sexual harassment
also gained greater prominence because of the
charges.
Thomas enhanced the conservative direction the
Court took in the 1990’s, a trend that continued in
the next decade.856 Thomas, Clarence The Nineties in America
Justice Byron White, right, swears in Clarence Thomas as associate justice of the United States during a ceremony at the White House on
October 18, 1991.(AP/Wide World Photos)