One alum group is lobbying Rhodes to remove Amy Coney Barrett from school's hall of fame

A Facebook group of Rhodes College alums with a focus on abortion and reproductive healthcare access are lobbying the school to remove Supreme Court Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett from the Rhodes Hall of Fame.

The group's reasoning is stated in a posted online petition that analyzes Barrett's answers to questions posed during her Senate confirmation hearing in October of 2020. In short, the petition states, Barrett lied about her position regarding the recently over-turned Roe v. Wade legal precedent.

Her dishonesty, the petition contends, is in direct conflict with the Rhodes Honor Code.

"She did testify that she had no agenda for overturning precedent such as Roe or Casey. This statement seems not only disingenuous in retrospect after the Dobbs decision, but at the time it would have been at odds with her scholarly writings. It was, at the very least, misleading," the petition read.

A spokesperson for Rhodes College issued the following statement in response to the circulating petition:

"We are aware that some alumni are soliciting signatures for a letter regarding Justice Amy Coney Barrett. The letter has not yet been delivered to Rhodes, so we have no comment at this time.”

The group, called Rhodes College Alumni for Reproductive Rights, first formed shortly after Barrett's nomination in 2020. Multiple letters regarding Barrett's confirmation and status as an honored alum of Rhodes have been penned under the group's name and sent to the college.

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The exact size of the group is unclear; privacy settings for the group's Facebook page prevent direct messaging or viewing any type of roster. Two alums have signed the petition with their names; it's unclear if more names have been added to the petition since the initial posting.

Barrett, a native of New Orleans, attended Rhodes College in the early 90s. After her nomination, the Rhodes administration said it was a notable moment for the college's legacy — even if a contested one given the proximity of the nomination to the 2020 presidential election.

Amid the noise around Barrett's nomination to the Supreme Court, then-president Marjorie Hass acknowledged the political divide, saying, "A Rhodes education embodies the values of critical thought, reasoned debate, the development of personal values, and the ability to engage across differences."

Micaela Watts is a reporter covering access and equity for The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at micaela.watts@commercialappeal.com.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Rhodes College alums lobby for removal of Amy Coney Barrett from HOF