‘We love Brett’: Waco leaders, Baylor law students meet Supreme Court Justice Kavanaugh

WACO, Texas (KWTX) - Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh had a jam packed 24 hours in Central Texas, meeting with local leaders, college students, and Baylor Law School students before hosting a public lecture series in honor of his friend and mentor, late Baylor President Judge Ken Starr.

Justice Kavanaugh came to Central Texas as the featured speaker for the annual Ken Starr Lecture Series at McLennan Community College Thursday evening at the invitation of Starr’s widow, Alice.

“We love Brett Kavanaugh, Brett to us, he was like a son,” Alice said.

Kavanaugh arrived in Central Texas just in time for a private reception for him Wednesday evening at a private residence in Waco.

Local leaders, including Congressman Pete Sessions, State Senator Brian Birdwell, State Representative Pat Curry, Waco Mayor Jim Holmes and McLennan County DA Josh Tetens attended.

So did a number of business leaders and education leaders, including Baylor Law School Dean Jeremy Counselor and MCC President Johnette McKown, who was recognized in front of Kavanaugh for her innovation in leading the college the past 16 years.

Alice Starr introduced Kavanaugh to the guests as both talked of their long friendship.

Kavanaugh is no stranger to Texas.

Alice Starr said he took many trips to Crawford with then President George W. Bush. Kavanaugh was part of Bush’s legal team as well as an assistant to the president and White House secretary.

Kavanaugh’s relationship with the Starrs goes back decades.

Kavanaugh worked in Washington, D.C. for six years with Ken Starr when Starr served as Solicitor General, Independent Council and a partner at Kirkland & Ellis.

“Ken always hired the best and the brightest,” Alice said. “Brett worked extremely hard.”

On Thursday morning, Kavanaugh met at The Baylor Club with students from Baylor Law School for The Federalist Papers Lecture which is named for Judge Starr and was endowed in 2012 by John and Marie Chiles.

Dean Counselor asked questions for the crowd and Baylor President Linda Livingstone made the opening remarks about civility.

Alice says the students gave the justice two standing ovations.

Thursday afternoon, the supreme court justice moved to the MCC campus where he first met privately with students in a classroom before serving as the featured speaker at the MCC Ken Starr Lecture Series which was free to the public.

No fundraising was done at any event, and all events were free for those who attended.

Kavanaugh’s visit came just hours after conservative activists Charlie Kirk was assassinated in Utah.

Alice said it was politically motivated threats toward Kavanaugh which kept him from visiting Central Texas in years past.

“It took a while because he wasn’t traveling for a while because he had so many death threats and we wanted to honor that and when we have him here in Waco, we have plenty of security because we want him to stay safe,” Starr said. “He has a beautiful wife and two children and he’s just the nicest family man you’ll ever meet, and we want people to think highly of Brett because he’s such a smart, wonderful and lovable person and we want them to know them as a person and not just a justice.”

Kavanaugh isn’t the only sitting Supreme Court Justice to visit the MCC Campus.

in 2017, Justice Clarence Thomas was a guest of Ken Starr for a conversation also open to the public on campus.

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