Private school exposed for decades of sexual abuse

The #MeToo movement has brought about many longtime dirty secrets of employers to the public. People who felt like they did not have a voice before now have a chance to expose guilty individuals and show the world just how despicable their actions are.

Many do not realize how far these wounds can trace back to. The movement affects people sexually abused or harassed at all ages, as the victims can still feel the pain decades after the incident occurred. An example of this can be seen with a recent investigation taking place at Key School in Annapolis, where women that were abused in the 1970s are finally making their stance.

Decades of silence

A 59-year-old former student of Maryland’s Key School recently revealed two teachers there sexually abused her when she was 13. While one other woman talked about her abuse prior to this, five more women later said their stories as well. The incidents that occurred in the 1970s still haunt these women in their 50s and 60s to this day.

Most of the stories the women had with letters of evidence involved the teachers asking them for sex when they were 13 and 14. One of the women even got pregnant with the teacher’s child and had an abortion. These relationships continued for months, sometimes years. As some of the acts became common knowledge, the school fired some of the teachers, but others remained at the facility and committed more abusive acts for many years. A majority of the teachers that the women are accusing are dead, in assisted living or retired.

Though the investigation is still active, Key School’s higher-ups find the allegations credible and believe their predecessors failed to protect victims of sexual abuse in the past.

A modern voice

While it is heartbreaking to see a facility get away with sexually abusing younger victims for so long, this does demonstrate how victims are becoming more confident in exposing their abusers and harassers in the modern age. It also shows that the incident does not have to be very recent in order for the victim to seek out justice.

Companies must update their policies and training on sexual harassment and abuse in order to thrive in the future. Maryland’s new sexual harassment law is set to go in effect on October 1, allowing employers a new beginning towards ensuring fair treatment to their employers and avoiding the mistakes of their predecessors.