WA—Survivors group deliver letter to Seattle City Council
Mayor accused of child sexual abuse by four men
Recently uncovered documents reveal Oregon's Child Protective Services found Mayor Ed Murray sexually abused his foster son
Four Mayoral candidates, one Council Member and the Seattle LGBTQ Commission have since called for the Mayor to resign
Victims believe it is important that the City Council hear their voices on this issue as well
WHAT:
Holding signs and childhood photos at a sidewalk news conference, child sex abuse victims and their supporters will:
-explain their position on the proposed resignation of Seattle’s Mayor, and
- hand out copies of the letter they will be delivering to the City Council
They will then proceed up to the council chamber on the 2nd floor of City Hall to:
- hand deliver a copy of the letter to the full Council, and
- if permitted, briefly address the group on this issue.
WHEN
Monday, July 31 at 1:00 PM, before the 2:00 PM Council meeting
WHERE:
Outside of City Hall, 601 5th Avenue (cross street Cherry) in downtown Seattle
WHO:
4-5 people who are members of SNAP, the Survivors Network, the nation's largest support group for adult survivors of child sexual abuse
WHY:
Seattle Mayor Ed Murray was accused of child sexual abuse by his former foster son, Jeff Simpson, and three other men. Murray denies the allegations, but suspended his re-election campaign in the wake of the charges. The mayor’s term of office ends in December.
On July 16th, the Seattle Times published documents showing that a 1984 investigation by Oregon Child Protective Services found that Murray had sexually abused his foster son, and that the mayor should not be certified as a foster parent in the future.
In light of this information, City Councilmember M. Lorena González asked Murray to consider stepping down.
The following day former Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn and fellow Mayoral candidates Cary Moon, Jessyn Farrell and Nikkita Oliver called on Murray to resign.
A week later, the Seattle LGBTQ Commission asked the mayor to resign.
Members of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, believe that it is important for members of the City Council to hear from them as well on the issue of resignation. They plan to deliver a letter to the City Council outlining their position on the Mayor’s resignation, and the reasons behind it. Copies of SNAP’s letter will be available at the event.
(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:
Mary Dispenza (425-941-6001, [email protected]), Barbara Dorris (314-503-0003 cell, [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