Are we defending Thomas because he is innocent or because it’s not that bad? Until very recently, I probably would have responded similarly to Goldberg. Maybe Thomas did say some things he shouldn’t have, I would have thought, but he wasn’t accused of anything “serious.”

All along, in other words, I didn’t doubt Hill. I knew the truth was on her side. But I was subconsciously belittling her experience, and that was wrong. In 2017, post-Weinstein, we can’t let sexual harassment slide just because it doesn’t rise to the severity of rape, or because we believe that boys will be boys.

I believe Anita Hill. I believe that Clarence Thomas abused his authority to sexually harass a woman who worked for him. And lied about it. And smeared his accuser.