UNM professor weighs in on Kavanaugh

A University of New Mexico professor has found himself in the conversation surrounding allegations against Supreme Court Nominee Brett Kavanaugh after he was quoted in an article published by The New Yorker following allegations from Deborah Ramirez, a college classmate of Kavanaugh’s at Yale University.

Mark Krasberg, a research assistant professor of Neurosurgery in the School of Medicine, was a college classmate of the two and told The New Yorker that Kavanaugh’s behavior was a common topic among his classmates after his nomination was announced.

According to the article, “in one email that Krasberg received in September, the classmate who recalled hearing about the incident with Ramirez alluded to the allegation and wrote that it “would qualify as a sexual assault… if it’s true.””

Ramirez accused Kavanaugh of exposing himself to her while she was inebriated at a party. She said that she pushed him away, and in the process touched his penis. A devout Catholic, she wasn’t going to touch a penis until marriage. She told The New Yorker that the incident was humiliating and left her embarrassed and ashamed.

Krasberg took to Twitter on Wednesday morning to clarify his remarks in the article and express his support for Ramirez.

“I am issuing the following statement: First, I would like to commend Debbie Ramirez for being brave enough to share her story,” Krasberg tweeted. “I am humbled by the courage she has shown. Second, I am not a part of some last-minute smear campaign.”

He also said that he agrees with Ramirez and would like to see an FBI investigation into the accusations in which all parties are interviewed. He did not say definitively if he believes Ramirez’ accusations. Repeated attempts to reach Krasberg by the Daily Lobo were unsuccessful.

Krasberg came to UNM in 2012 after nine years of working with the University of Wisconsin at the IceCube South Pole neutrino observatory as a research scientist. His work at UNM includes developing new approaches to analyzing physiological data from the Neurosciences Intensive Care Unit, according to his faculty biography.

Kavanaugh and the first accuser who came forward, Christine Blasey Ford, are scheduled to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday regarding the allegations brought forth by Blasey Ford. According to Blasey Ford, Kavanaugh attempted to rape her during a party in high school, held her down and covered her mouth when she attempted to scream. Kavanaugh has denied all allegations brought against him.

This is the second nomination to the Supreme Court for President Donald Trump, who previously nominated Neil Gorsuch to replace the late Antonin Scalia.

If confirmed, Kavanaugh will take the seat of Anthony Kennedy, who retired from the Court at the end of July. The committee will vote on his nomination on Friday, and if they vote in favor, the nomination will move before the Senate, where a simple majority vote will be required to confirm, or refuse to confirm him, for the seat.

Cameron Goeldner is a sports beat reporter and photographer for the Daily Lobo. He primarily covers men’s soccer, women’s basketball, softball and the Albuquerque Isotopes, but also contributes content for baseball, basketball, football and track and field. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter 
@goeldfinger.