Former friend of Kavanaugh slams ‘hurtful’ insinuation about her in his yearbook

Renate Schroeder Dolphin, a woman who knew Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh during his teenage years, is denouncing a “horrible” and “simply untrue” insinuation after The New York Times found her referenced several times by name in his high school yearbook. 

The newspaper reported on Monday that the woman’s name appeared in a photo in Georgetown Preparatory School’s 1983 yearbook that featured Kavanaugh, who has been accused of committing sexual assault at a party when he was in high school, and four other men along with the caption “Renate Alumni.”

{mosads}According to the newspaper, the phrase was a reference to their relations with Dolphin, whether it be dating, attending dances or some other contact.

Her name also reportedly appeared at least 14 times in on several other individual’s pages.

“I learned about these yearbook pages only a few days ago,” Dolphin said in a statement to The Times. “I don’t know what ‘Renate Alumnus’ actually means. I can’t begin to comprehend what goes through the minds of 17-year-old boys who write such things, but the insinuation is horrible, hurtful and simply untrue. I pray their daughters are never treated this way. I will have no further comment.”

Dolphin was among 64 other women who signed a letter earlier this month saying they knew Kavanaugh during their high school years, which also stated “he has behaved honorably and treated women with respect.” 

However, that was prior to Dolphin learning of the way her name was being referenced in the school.

A lawyer representing Kavanaugh, Alexandra Walsh, told The Times, “Judge Kavanaugh was friends with Renate Dolphin in high school. He admired her very much then, and he admires her to this day.” 

“Judge Kavanaugh and Ms. Dolphin attended one high school event together and shared a brief kiss good night following that event,” Walsh continued. “They had no other such encounter. The language from Judge Kavanaugh’s high school yearbook refers to the fact that he and Ms. Dolphin attended that one high school event together and nothing else.”

However, Dolphin said she never kissed Kavanaugh.

“I think Brett must have me confused with someone else, because I never kissed him,” she said.

The remarks come as Kavanaugh continues to face controversy surrounding sexual assault allegations from multiple accusers.

Earlier this month, a woman later identified as Christine Blasey Ford alleged Kavanaugh pinned her to a bed, groped her and attempted to remove her clothes while they were at a high school party in the 1980s.

And The New Yorker reported Sunday that Senate Democrats are currently looking into an allegation of sexual misconduct against Kavanaugh brought forth by a woman identified as Deborah Ramirez.

Kavanaugh has since denied the allegations and said on Monday that he will “not be intimidated into withdrawing” from his Supreme Court nomination.