Teens react to the Kavanaugh hearings: 'I’m 17 and I know that my actions definitely have consequences'

By Catherine Thorbecke

In her emotional testimony today, Christine Blasey Ford recounted to the nation a sexual assault she says Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh committed decades ago, while the two were both in high school.

In the wake of the historic hearings, "Good Morning America" spoke to teens across the country to hear how they were responding to the allegations that stemmed from a high school get-together and are only coming to light decades later.

Jim Bourg/Reuters

Professor Christine Blasey Ford is sworn in to testify before a Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing for Kavanaugh on Capitol Hill in Washington, Sept. 27, 2018.

"It's definitely brought light to me and my peers that the things we do now are going to affect us for the rest of our life," Dan Radka, 17, from Clinton, Connecticut, told "GMA."

"It doesn't have to be as awful as attempting to rape someone, but this idea that the actions that you have now in high school will affect you for the rest of your life is very sobering," he added. "And I think that's a good thing."

Despite not being old enough to vote, Radka said he and his friends were definitely tuning in to today's historic hearings.

"Ford might be lying, she might be telling the truth," he said. "I have a feeling personally that she's telling the truth, but I'm not a United States senator so that doesn't matter."

Despite his personal beliefs, Radka said that he thinks "that Kavanaugh is going to end up getting confirmed."

"There are more Republicans in the Senate than there are Democrats, there is a Republican president -- who nominated a conservative justice."

Radka said he's noticed, however, that a lot of people he's spoken to seem to have already made up their minds prior to the hearing.

"We live in the United States of America, and you are innocent until proven guilty," he said, adding that, still, "at this point people are jumping the gun and accusing Kavanaugh of being outright guilty, and people are jumping the gun and accusing Ford of lying and making up these accusations."

Despite the fact that he believes Kavanaugh will still be confirmed, Radka said he thinks this is a defining moment for women.

"I think more will come out of this for women’s rights," he said. "Not necessarily the Me Too movement, but advancing women’s rights and the way women are treated in society."

"You can look at Anita Hill and she was treated very poorly, but Clarence Thomas is sitting on the Supreme Court right now," he said.

"Who knows, in another decade we might have the same thing, and if you get enough people ... who knows, you might change the dialogue of society," he added.

Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images

Christine Blasey Ford, the woman accusing Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her at a party 36 years ago, testifies during his U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Sept. 27, 2018.

Amy Zhou, 17, of Scottsdale, Arizona, said while she wasn't allowed to use her phone during classes, "After I was out of school I immediately went to go watch."

Zhou said the thing that struck her most was that: "There stories didn't match, even though they were both under oath, so it made it hard to wrap my mind around it."

"They both seemed so passionate about it," she added. "It just didn't make sense that they would tell such different stories."

Zhou said listening to the hearings has even sparked some conversations about sexual assault among female friends.

"I definitely think that this is important, and that high schoolers get to see what comes out of this because it really sends a message as to how boys and men and adults treat girls," she said.

As a young girl herself, Zhou said she believes the outcome of these hearing will have a big impact on how girls "view themselves."

"It's really going to define the culture and set an example for how young girls view themselves, and how they will speak up about sexual assault."

Zhou noted that she was also the same age Kavanaugh was when Ford alleges the assault occurred, and she believes that your actions as a teen should definitely carry consequences into adulthood.

"It's definitely not too early to be thinking about the consequences of your actions," she said. "I’m 17 and I know that my actions definitely have consequences."

"I definitely don't think 17 is too young for him to be held accountable for his actions," she added.

Scott Olson/Getty Images

Patrons watch the television at the Billy Goat Tavern during the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill, Sept. 27, 2018 in Chicago.

Brennan Leach, 17, of Wayne, Pennsylvania, said she has noticed her peers have shown an immense interest in the historic hearings.

"I’ve seen kids from the far left the far right, especially kids who have had very little interest in politics historically miss classes, miss lunch, to watch these hearings proceed," she said.

"It means a lot to me to see people across the country care," she added. "But especially people my age tune in and ask the hard questions and getting involved in the hearings."

Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Dozens of protesters against the confirmation of Republican Supreme court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh gather outside of Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer's office in New York, Sept. 27, 2018.

Leach said she has "a tremendous amount of respect for Dr. Blasey Ford."

"As a young girl watching something that happened to her at my age, and having her speak about this at such a public and national level, and doing it with such poise," she said. "I have such admiration for her, I think she is doing a great job of being calm, composed and articulate."

She added that watched the hearing "unfold in a room full of girls my age."

"And the majority of the girls maybe can't name the senators when they're talking, but you watch them really listen and you see that what Dr. Ford is saying truly resonates with them, they feel connected to her in some way," she said. "Maybe through their experiences, through their times in high school."

"I think by Dr. Ford coming forward and sharing her experience, she's really shedding light on the experience of a lot younger girls across the country," she added.

She noted that she has been hearing conversations among her peers about "how you treat someone at a party or social event matters."

"This whole experience has been really eye-opening to kids my age of both genders."

Leach said she has hope that senators will disregard political affiliations and vote based on what they believe to be true.

"I think that there are female Republicans and there are male Republicans who are capable of understanding this and listening, and just because you are a man doesn't mean you aren't able to comprehend the trauma of these experiences," she said.

"Despite their party and their political affiliation, I think that we should wait and see how this plays out," she said. "I have hope that due process will play out and both sides will be heard and evaluated in a non partisan and honest way."

Georgetown Preparatory School

Supreme Court Justice nominee Brett Kavanaugh is pictured in an image from the Georgetown Preparatory School high school yearbook.