During Hearing, Gorsuch Says He Never Disparaged Motherhood

DENVER (CBS4) - Judge Neil Gorsuch spoke pointedly on Tuesday about claims made by one of his former students at the University of Colorado's Law School.

The former student says President Donald Trump's pick for the nation's high court made disparaging comments about women a year ago.

Gorsuch, a Colorado native and judge in Denver's federal court, was hammered with questions on the second day of his Senate confirmation hearing. And although there are varying accounts of what happened inside the CU classroom, with Gorsuch under consideration for the U.S. Supreme Court senators wanted to find out more about the claims. The goal was to find out if he believes women abuse maternity leave.

CBSN LIVE COVERAGE: Gorsuch Confirmation Hearing

"Two of your former students from Legal Ethics and Professionalism class last spring wrote to this committee to say how troubled they were by your comments in an April 19 class," Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) said. "It was a gender-targeted discussion regarding the hardship to employers of having female employees who may use maternity benefits."

Gorsuch's class was discussing the problems with those who are in the legal profession, from high suicide rates to alcoholism to hurdles in getting a first job.

"Did you ask your students in class that day to raise their hands if they knew of a woman who had taken maternity benefits from a company and then left the company after having a baby?" Durbin asked.

"No, senator, and I'd be delighted to actually clear this up," Gorsuch said.

Gorsuch says he remembers teaching the class from a specific textbook that raised questions young lawyers should know about.

More than one student remembers Gorsuch saying law firms have problems dealing with pregnancies and women who abuse maternity benefits.

Gorsuch says the conversation was about pregnancy but never disparaged motherhood.

"How many of you have had questions like this asked of you in the employment environment -- an inappropriate question about your family planning? And I am shocked every year, senator, how many young women raise their hand. It's disturbing to me," Gorsuch said.

One of the students who raised the concerns told CBS4 on Tuesday that she didn't want the letter to be viewed as an attack on Gorsuch's nomination, but rather a valid point that the nation needed to debate.

After Gorsuch provided his answer to the question it raised on Tuesday, CBS4's Jeff Todd asked if the student if she watched Gorsuch's testimony. She said that she couldn't because she was in the courtroom trying a case.