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Feminist Club Welcomes Guest Speaker Chessy Prout
From Feminist Club Advisor Kate Parker-Burgard:
St. Luke’s Feminist Club members and invited guests gathered online to hear from sexual assault survivor Chessy Prout. While her identity was not revealed when her case was first in the national spotlight, she has since come forward. As Chessy shared in an interview, "I want everyone to know that I am not afraid or ashamed anymore, and I never should have been.”
Chessy’s powerful tale of being targeted by a senior boy when she was in 9th grade at St. Paul’s School was riveting for all in attendance. Boldly, she shared details of the challenges she faced returning to St. Paul’s the following fall, and the traumas, not only of the assault but of the trial as well. After sharing her experiences, she welcomed questions. As the meeting concluded, everyone voiced their appreciation for her honest and thoughtful sharing.
Cessa Lewis ‘23, one of the co-presidents of the feminist club, later reflected on the conversation, “Chessy's open conversation with us on her story of sexual abuse and life afterward was thought-provoking. I felt so empowered by her courage to use her voice in the face of so much adversity from her school, friends and community and how she came out the other side with a strong sense of self. She was the voice for girls who did not have the resources or bravery to use theirs. Chessy has paved a path that will have a lasting impact for young girls and boys, and I am so grateful for her and the work she continues to do.”
Club member Abby Thomas '23 added, "Chessy Prout is one of the most strong, empowering, and inspiring women I know. Her poise is incredible and she is amazingly well-spoken. Her confidence and generosity to speak with us and be that vulnerable is so admirable."
Club member Abby Thomas '23 added, "Chessy Prout is one of the most strong, empowering, and inspiring women I know. Her poise is incredible and she is amazingly well-spoken. Her confidence and generosity to speak with us and be that vulnerable is so admirable."
Chessy has started the self-advocacy campaign I Have The Right To. According to its website, #IHaveTheRightTo started as a social media campaign to engage participants to be a positive force of change and bring safety and respect to all cultures. During the last five years, many have come forward and given their experience, intelligence, resources, and passion to take “#IHaveTheRightTo” and evolve it to a new organization that promises to be the safe place where survivors and families of survivors can come to find support, belief in their accounts of what has occurred in their lives, advocacy for their rights, and a loving community that is growing every minute around the world.
Many thanks to Abby and the Thomas family for helping make this meeting with Chessy Prout possible.
St. Luke’s School is a secular (non-religious), private school in New Canaan, CT for grades 5 through 12 serving over 35 towns in Connecticut and New York. Our exceptional academics and diverse co-educational community foster students’ intellectual and ethical development and prepare them for top colleges. St. Luke’s Center for Leadership builds the commitment to serve and the confidence to lead.
