I received a formal apology from St. Paul's School.

(ICYMI: I was sexually assaulted at 15 by 2 18-yr-old seniors; the school failed to report, lied about the STD I'd contracted, shared my medical records, and threatened expulsion if I testified against my rapists.)

A thread.

The apology is brilliant. (Yes, color me shocked.) Institutions can learn from it. Insights courtesy @SusanBrison, survivor & Dartmouth professor, who is brilliant on assault, narrative, and repair. Also follow @wademullen for institutional guilt & change.

The opening acknowledges the harm done to me without minimizing it and accepts responsibility without defensiveness, deflection, excuses, or explanations.

The second graf acknowledges my experiences as I wrote of them--they have read my work--and makes it clear that the entire community shared a role in those events, that I am not the only victim of their wrongdoing, and that the adults were the ones responsible.

The last graf states their commitment to change and offers gratitude to me for sharing my experience.

This letter makes me feel that my experience was allowed to matter. The other survivors I talk to share this desire--not for some impossible remedy or justice (ha) but to know that our experiences, and their telling, matter. That people will be moved to change as a result.

I owe this to the new head of St. Paul's, Kathy Giles, a woman (coincidence? I think not). To Archie Cox, 83-yr-old chair of the trustees and son of the Watergate prosecutor who is trying to do right. And, above all, to all of my sisters and brothers who whispered or yelled:

To @Chessy_Prout and her family;
to the SPS Form of 1975;
to @LoreneCary;
to @TaranaBurke;
to Chanel Miller;
to @ConstandAndrea;
to all who held hands and jumped...

This is for you. I adore you.

And for the women who made my story a book: @sarahburnes, @bradstreet26, @ndewey, @reaganart.

Thank you.