Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas speaks at UT Austin

Justice Clarence Thomas speaks at UT Austin

A visit from one of the nation’s most influential judicial figures sparked both applause and protests at the University of Texas's campus on Wednesday.

AUSTIN, Texas - A visit from one of the nation’s most influential judicial figures sparked both applause and protests at the University of Texas's campus on Wednesday.

Clarence Thomas, the current longest serving member of the Supreme Court of the United States, was welcomed with a standing ovation inside of UT’s Hogg Memorial Auditorium.

What they're saying:

"We’re here to learn from someone who has devoted a life to a great experiment," said UT President, Jim Davis, as he prepared to introduce Thomas. "When I look at his life, the path he chose, the convictions he holds, I see the spirit of a Longhorn."

According to Justice Thomas, this is the second time he has visited the campus, but the first time he has been formally invited by the university. His presence was requested for the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, a document which Thomas couldn't overstate the importance of. 

"It gave us the freest, wealthiest, and most powerful nation in the history of the world," said Thomas.

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas

Throughout his remarks, the Justice stressed the importance of maintaining the nation’s founding spirit, warning that the sense of devotion that built the country may be fading.

"It is that devotion that we are missing today and that we must find in our hearts if this nation is to endure," said Thomas. "I think if we don't stand up and take ownership of our country and take responsibility for it, we are slowly letting others control how we think and what we think."

As the UT System continues with its reviews and consolidations of gender and ethnic studies programs, Thomas expressed hope that the university could influence other institutions to have similar trains of thought.

"It is my sincere hope that your work to revitalize the teaching and research of Western civilization and the American constitutional tradition will lead the way in the reform of our nation's colleges and universities," said Thomas.

At the conclusion of his speech, the Justice was presented with a University of Texas jersey as a parting gift. 

The other side:

But outside the venue, a different reception was unfolding.

"We feel very betrayed about it," said Georgia Schmitt, a member of the Austin Students for a Democratic Society. 

Schmitt was a part of a wave of students who marched across campus, holding signs and chanting in protest of Thomas’s appearance. Demonstrators voiced frustration with the university for inviting the conservative justice.

"Everyone here disagrees with his past, no matter what people’s political ideologies are," she said. "It’s embarrassing to have him as such an esteemed guest on our campus," Schmitt told FOX 7.

Controversy surrounding Justice Thomas

Dig deeper:

Clarence Thomas’s rise to the top of the country’s legal system has at certain points been clouded with controversy. In 1991, Anita Hill, a law professor, accused Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment during his Senate confirmation hearings. 

Hill testified that while Thomas was her supervisor at the EEOC, he made inappropriate comments and advances towards her. Thomas staunchly denied these claims and was confirmed to the Supreme Court by a narrow Senate majority of 52 to 48.

In 2023, Thomas also came under fire after a Pro Publica report revealed that for years he had accepted gifts from wealthy benefactors without properly disclosing him.