GA--National group hopes boarding school case inspires changes in SOLs
For immediate release, Monday, July 2, 2017
Statement by Melanie Sakoda of Moraga, California, Volunteer Leader with SNAP, the Survivors Network (925-708-6175, [email protected])
Georgia’s largest and second-oldest boarding school, which draws students from across the country and abroad, is facing allegations that it tolerated years of sexual misconduct by at least one teacher.
Through the efforts of former student Tim Lee, Darlington sent a letter to its alumni in May of this year, seeking information about possible sexual misconduct at the school.
The outreach led to discussions among former students, and others joined Lee in reporting inappropriate behavior. A couple of alumni also agreed with Lee that reports were made to school officials.
Unfortunately, these revelations are being made public just as Georgia’s Hidden Predator Act, which allowed a two year window to bring civil suits otherwise barred by the statute of limitations, expires.
As members of the national survivors group SNAP, we hope that this case will inspire the Georgia legislature to remove the statute of limitations for child sex abuse completely and to open a permanent civil window such as Guam was done, which also holds institutions that covered up abuse responsible in the civil courts.
Abuse survivors come forward when they are ready, and the information their testimony provides exposes those who may continue to abuse children if they are not identified and stopped.
(SNAP, the Survivors Network, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings. SNAP was founded in 1988 and has more than 20,000 members. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)
Contact – Melanie Jula Sakoda (925-708-6175, [email protected]), Joelle Casteix (949-322-7434, [email protected]), Barbara Dorris (314-503-0003, [email protected])
Winter Appeal 2023
To our friends,
2023 has been a long year with many ups and downs for us all. As we close out the year, we at SNAP hope that you are feeling like you are on your way to being healthy, fulfilled, and happy. This past year has brought both successes and challenges. Thanks to the support you have shown in the past, we’ve been able to celebrate the good days and weather the stormy ones. Now, we are once again asking for your support as we work to support survivors new and old as we ‘Move SNAP Forward.’
At SNAP we are proud to have hosted a very well-attended conference in August 2023. This event allowed us to gather friends, survivors, advocates, and allies for a weekend of camaraderie and connection. We were so happy to be able to welcome many first-time attendees to gather in person and are already looking forward to the next conference.
To strengthen our movement for justice, healing, and prevention, SNAP will be expanding our peer support and providing more volunteer opportunities in the coming year. Through this great work, we are ensuring survivor voices are represented as we work for significant change that will benefit children and survivors.
Right now, survivors worldwide are getting the help they need from SNAP, and more and more reach out to us daily, but we need your help to keep those programs going and get our volunteers the training they need to thrive.
Your tax-deductible gift to SNAP can help offset the cost of our important mission. If you are not in a position to contribute, you can still support us by sharing this letter with those who can. As we continue to fight for survivors across the globe, your donation or sharing the great work SNAP does will help us continue our work to protect the vulnerable, heal the wounded, and prevent abuse.
Your donation ensures SNAP will be there for those who need us more than ever!
Warmly,
Michael W. McDonnell, C.P.S.
Interim Executive Director