Dr. Vannessa Tyson, who recently accused Virginia Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax of sexual assault, claimed Tuesday that watching Christine Blasey Ford’s testimony made her feel “not alone.”
“We had the opportunity to watch Christine Blasey Ford testify,” Tyson said. “We all had varying reactions to it. It focused around a dynamic of empathy. As she shook, we shook with her. As she told her story, we felt the pain that she so visibly demonstrated.”
Tyson made these comments Tuesday during a symposium on #MeToo at Stanford University, where she is a professor of political science and studies sexual violence against women and children. (RELATED: Women Who Accused VA Lt. Gov. Of Sexual Assault Speaks Out)
“When we hear someone else’s story, there’s a beauty in the sense that you know you’re not alone,” Tyson said while discussing her viewing of Ford’s testimony.
Earlier in the month, according to Politico, Tyson had accused Fairfax of sexual assault. The assault, according to Tyson, took place more than ten years ago.
Vanessa Tyson accuses Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax of assaulting her in 2004. Fairfax said the encounter was consensual, and denied assaulting or coercing Tyson. https://t.co/NoyTI03Bi3
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) February 13, 2019
She also mentioned how concerned she was that there are “deliberate attempts” to undermine survivors’ credibility. She also voiced her concerns that some women who were of higher social or economic status might receive prioritization in their recognition of their sexual assault experiences.
“They might come from a dominant group, such as white people, they may be highly educated, that seems to be a source of credibility, from my vantage point.”