Who is Chessy Prout? Sex assault survivor slams Joe Biden over Michael Delaney's federal bench nomination
CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE: A sexual assault survivor has slammed US president Joe Biden for the federal bench nomination of a lawyer whose hardball tactics forced her to reveal her identity. Chessy Prout, now 24, was only 18 years old when she was sexually assaulted by Owen Labrie in the elite New Hampshire boarding school St Paul's in 2014.
Labrie, who was convicted of misdemeanor sexual assault and child endangerment and registered as a sex offender, allegedly spent less than eight months behind bars for his crimes. Prout, who now works as an advocate for sexual assault survivors, said coming forward about her abuse has been worthwhile until Biden appointed Delaney as a federal judge. "I feel like bad actors get rewarded all the time," she told Boston Globe.
READ MORE
@wrenandroch These incredible women took their pain and turned it into beautiful art! #ArtForSAAM #CarryYourCourage @PAVEinfo pic.twitter.com/opK9BI3cbW
— Chessy Prout (@Chessy_Prout) April 12, 2017
Who is Michael Delaney?
Delaney, who is in the running for the position of a federal judge, represented St Paul's in the civil lawsuit and filed a motion against Prout's request for anonymity, which required her to reveal her identity when the case went to trial. The controversial trial was publicly condemned as a way to force a settlement. However, the move culminated in a furious Prout going public with her identity and revealing her story in an interview with Savannah Guthrie on the 'Today Show' in 2016.
Who is Chessy Prout?
In 2014, 'Senior Salute', a game of sexual conquest at St Paul's School, saw seniors emailing a girl to see if she would meet up. Labrie and Prout, 18, met subsequently, leading to the sexual assault complaint after the latter's sister found out about the encounter. Prout's parents and school authorities were contacted and the victim claimed Labrie raped her. The teenage boy's DNA was found on Prout's underwear and it was stated he may have prematurely ejaculated.
Do you stand with survivors of sexual assault & violence? Declare your rights by posting a message on social media with #IHaveTheRightTo! pic.twitter.com/p5Wu77Xl72
— Chessy Prout (@Chessy_Prout) February 27, 2018
However, semen found couldn't be definitively matched to Labrie, and he was acquitted of rape in 2015. Nevertheless, he was found guilty of misdemeanor sexual assault charges and endangering the welfare of a child. Moreover, he was registered as a sex offender after he was convicted of using a computer to lure an underage student for sex.
Chessy Prout slams Biden
Prout criticized Biden's nomination of Delaney to the federal bench on the US First Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston. She claims the former New Hampshire attorney general's hardball tactics forced her to reveal her identity. After hearing the news of Delaney's nomination, Prout and her family alerted the Biden administration and New Hampshire senators to his actions but to no avail. "I'm pretty jaded, even at the age of 24 but at the same time, I did have higher hopes for this White House," she said of the nomination.
The 24-year-old highlighted she was inspired by the Obama administration program It's On Us, an initiative to fight sexual violence. Biden was a strong supporter of the program as vice president but she now claims "the tides were turning." "To see this issue be brought up in a really public and noticeable way right when I was going through this issue personally, it felt like kismet, it felt like it was meant to be," Prout said. She said Delaney's nomination has left her "extremely disappointed." "It is really disheartening that it's this political party that has been so vocal about supporting survivors and the fact that they now are throwing their wholehearted support behind a nominee who basically practiced victim intimidation tactics. It just blows my mind that there isn't a better option," she said.
Prout and her family claim to have written a letter to members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is considering the nomination, with copies sent to Biden and vice president Kamala Harris. Meanwhile, Delaney responded to the allegation and said he was simply representing St Paul's School. "Consider the totality of my record over nearly 30 years as it reviews my qualifications," he said. However, Prout questioned his "ability to be a judge" after filing the motion against her. "This was his action as a member of the bar in the state of New Hampshire. He knows the system better than St Paul's School does," she said.