10/16/2020

We, as alumni and former students of Patrick Henry College (PHC), oppose
Madison Cawthorn’s candidacy for the United States Congress.

PHC is a small, Christian college where we were educated in intellectual

conservatism and the core tenets of good governance, rooted in a deep appreciation for
our country’s founding principles. Through intensive study of the classics and the
writings of our Founding Fathers we learned that those seeking to represent us in public
service should be men and women of good moral character. It was the “Father of Our
Country,” President George Washington, who said so when he wrote to his nephew in
1790 that “a good moral character is the first essential in a man… It is therefore highly
important that you should endeavor not only to be learned but virtuous.” PHC regularly
touts the placement of its graduates in positions of influence in law and conservative
politics, and we take pride in that PHC cultivates citizens of upstanding moral character
who will “lead the nation and shape the culture.” However, based on our knowledge of
Cawthorn’s character and our experience with him as a classmate at PHC, we have
determined that we must speak out and resolutely oppose his bid to represent the
people of North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District.

Cawthorn’s time at PHC was marked by gross misconduct towards our female
peers, public misrepresentation of his past, disorderly conduct that was against the
school’s student honor code, and self-admitted academic failings.

During his brief time at the college, Cawthorn established a reputation for
predatory behavior. His modus operandi was to invite unsuspecting women on “joy
rides” in his white Dodge Challenger. Cawthorn would take young women to secluded
areas, lock the doors, and proceed to make unwanted sexual advances. It became a
regular warning in the female dorms not to be caught alone with Madison Cawthorn.
Additionally, he referred to female students as “bitches” and “sluts”, both in private
amongst his friends and often publicly. He also called our female peers these
derogatory names when they refused to go for a ride in his car.
 At the beginning of the 2017 spring semester, Cawthorn shared his personal
testimony at one of our campus-wide chapel services. Over the course of his testimony,
Cawthorn said that he was “a top football recruit for the Naval Academy” and that after
his accident he told doctors that he “would be at the Naval Academy by Christmas.”
Cawthorn has placed this narrative at the center of his campaign, namely that his tragic
accident “derailed his plans” to attend the Naval Academy. However, a sworn deposition
from his lawsuit against his friend’s auto insurance company shows that Cawthorn knew
before the accident that his nomination to the Naval Academy had been rejected.

Cawthorn recounted how “my best friend, my brother” managed to extricate

himself from the wreckage of the accident and deserted Cawthorn to perish alone in “a
fiery tomb.” Yet according to local journalists and reporting, Cawthorn’s friend, with the
assistance of a bystander, pulled Cawthorn from the wreckage, saving his life. In
describing the friend’s actions, Cawthorn’s father said “he wasn’t scared, didn’t run from
the fire, he pulled Cawthorn from the car cause he was unconscious.” To build a
compelling narrative, Cawthorn is willing to skew the truth and slander the character of a
friend who saved his life.

Later that same semester, Cawthorn was involved in a well-documented case of

vandalism. He, along with another former student, stole a commemorative sword with a
deep sentimental value from one of the male dormitories. The sword was later found
dumped in the college pond, covered in cement. This destructive action aptly displays
Cawthorn’s pattern of disrespect for his community and blatant disregard for its values.
How can someone who flagrantly disrespects the deeply held traditions of the
communities they participated in, be trusted to respect our country’s most sacred
institutions?

Following his departure from PHC, more information came to light about
Cawthorn having groped and sexually harassed female students who believed him to be
a friend. One of these cases was recently confirmed by WORLD Magazine, a
conservative evangelical publication based in Asheville, NC. This student described
how Cawthorn grabbed her thigh underneath her skirt and complimented parts of her
body in an inappropriate way that made her feel extremely uncomfortable. The article
also recounts Cawthorn taking other women to secluded areas to forcefully engage in
unwanted sexual advances, which matches the experiences of women at PHC. These
reprehensible actions have had lasting impacts on the women he targeted. And still
many women are not ready to share their stories of what he did to them.

But we remember what Madison Cawthorn did to our community. We remember

how he took advantage of our community’s trust. We remember how deeply he hurt our
community. We remember that he was a wolf in sheep's clothing who made our small,
close-knit community his personal playground of debauchery. We remember that other
survivors have yet to share their stories. And it is because we remember that we will not
sit idly by while he is celebrated as the new face of the conservative movement,
millennials, and Christians.

Therefore, we urge the voters of North Carolina to seriously reevaluate Madison

Cawthorn’s candidacy in light of who he really is. Our Founding Fathers made it clear
that good moral character is the first requirement for anyone seeking to represent the
American people, and Cawthorn falls short of that standard. North Carolina deserves
better; North Carolina demands better. So on November 3rd, reject Madison Cawthorn
at the ballot box.

• Giovanna Lastra • Philip Bunn

• Marquis Gough • Sequoia Leines
• Abby Osborne • Bryan Leines
• Diego Lastra • Thaddeus Tague
• Daniel Osborne • Caitlin Coulter