FURTHER ACTIONS & RESOURCES

There are several good resources for alumni harmed on campus by sexual misconduct.

  • Legal
    Several alumni survivors have been represented by Kristin Knuuttila . Kristin able to listen and support a victim as they try to explain their harm. She is also acquainted with the PEA culture and is up to date on the teachers and administrators currently and through the decades. If you are seeking repair or resolution from PEA we recommend her highly. She can be best reached through her email: [email protected] .

  • Official Reporting
    If this is a first report of harm, you will need to report your case to the Exeter Police Department. We have had good experiences with EPD and especially Det. Mulholland. If you need support taking this tough step please reach out to site admin or HAVEN (below) to walk you through what to expect. If you are making a report to EPD in person, HAVEN can even arrange for someone to accompany you.

 

  • Therapy Reimbursement
    After you have reported your harm to the EPD (see above), and if you were harmed on campus, you are eligible to apply for therapy reimbursement from the Academy. This program reimburses up to $10,000 and information can be found on the  Exeter website   Requests for reimbursement should be emailed to cdpalmer(insert “at” symbol)exeter.edu . Accepting this reimbursement does not limit you in any way from pursuing further repairs from Exeter should more be necessary. It can help you access immediate resources for support, or reimburse past services.

 

  • Facilitated Support Circles Starting in a June, the second of our two monthly offerings will be only for those who have experienced sexual abuse at Exeter or elsewhere as support circle for connection and community.

 

Healing from sexual harm is a personal journey. This reimbursement includes nontraditional therapies such as EMDR, EFT,  forms of body work, retreats, workshops etc. that would traditionally not be included. We have negotiated this so you can make a case for what you have found effective. You will be asked to authenticate your claim of treatment for harm caused by sexual misconduct at Exeter. This can be done with a letter from your treating therapist and can be go back retroactively for decades. You will also be asked to fill out a W-9 for tax and remittance purposes. Although, not strictly anonymous, we have found the process to be confidential and trustworthy.

We are often quick to point out where the Academy has not “come up to the mark” with past victims. The creation of this program was immediate and a sincere effort by Principal MacFarlane to help alumni receive therapy assistance.  We hope more schools will follow this example.

  • Survivor Advocates are available through the Academy for current students and alumni (especially supportive if you are considering a return to campus that could be potentially traumatic). Support from these advocates can be arranged through the Dean of Student of Well Being, Christina Palmer (cdpalmer(insert “at” symbol)exeter.edu).
  • HAVEN is working with academy students and alumni now. If you are in crisis, or get a message from a student in crisis, the number for HAVEN is 1-603-994-SAFE (7233). A trained advocate will answer 24/7. You can feel confident about referring this number or using this service yourself. If you are an alumni who wants to report your assault for the first time, we recommend to start with  HAVEN. They can help you with further reports to Exeter PD, or the Academy, if this is your wish.
  • Secret Facebook Groups
    There are two secret Facebook Groups that provide confidential support for alumni survivors. One is a support group, led by Susannah Morrison Curtis, which includes alumni survivors of harm both at PEA and beyond. The other is an action group led by Ann Malabre (EA Malabre on FB). If you’d like to join one of these, and feel you are ready to interact with other survivor alums about your harm, please PM them on FB. You will need to briefly substantiate your harm and ties to Exeter.
  • Private Facebook Group with Alumni for Advocacy
    There is another Facebook group for all alumni interested in advocacy and discussion about sexual misconduct on campus.  Processing PEA is a closed group (posts and members not visible publicly) created in response to news about allegations of sexual misconduct at PEA. PPEA is not a “victims” group, rather it is filled with around 2,000 alumni who want a private space to discuss PEA news. The conversations in this group can be very candid and even abrasive at times.

Over all it is a hugely supportive space for public and private survivors. David Knopf is the administrator. You need to request to join and then answer the 3 PEA verifying challenge questions to be accepted into the group. As a footnote, this is the space that alumni advocates tend to communicate our updates to the community because it is semi-private.

  •  Exonians is a much larger public Facebook group administered by Russell Washington, (not affiliated with PEA Admin) that serves as a public bulletin board to the community and world beyond. You should be careful about posting sensitive information here, as you could be contacted by media, or anyone really. All content is visible to anyone on the Internet, whether one of the 2 billion members of FB or not. However, it is a nice community resource. The conversations are diligently monitored for abusive/harmful behavior.
  • The Mama Bear Effect is an amazing resource for parents. They are a non profit dedicated to “rocking the talk” about body safety for children and young adults. We wish it had been around for us, but we use their awesome graphics and education materials to empower our own children.