Professor Anita Hill on Sunday asserted that elected officials were still failing to lead on the issue of sexual harassment years after the U.S. Senate ignored her sexual misconduct allegations against Clarence Thomas and confirmed him as a U.S. Supreme Court Justice.

“We have made progress,” Hill told NBC host Chuck Todd in an interview on Meet the Presss. “Unfortunately, 26 years ago Washington wasn’t ready to lead on this issue and I’m afraid even today Washington cannot lead the country on this issue. Seems to be too many conflicted feelings and understanding about what needs to happen when sexual misconduct occurs.”

ADVERTISEMENT

According to Hill, some senators — like former Vice President Joe Biden — voted to confirm Thomas even though they believed the allegations that he sexually harassed her.

“I think it was a combination of factors that came into play in 1991,” she noted. “Some people probably didn’t believe me. Other people believed me but they didn’t care. We’re talking about politics and political expediency.”

She continued: “I have been saying all along for the past few years as I talk about sexual harassment that when it comes down to it and all of the facts are brought out and into play then we are going to have to make some very tough decisions about people who we otherwise admire.”

“Many women across the country and many men we have to understand it is not just about whether I accept an apology from Joe Biden,” Hill recalled. “We really need to have some clear standards about what happens when we find that there is credible evidence that an individual has acted in this way and engaged in egregious behavior. What do we do with that individual? What are the consequences?”

Watch the video below from NBC.