Biden Judicial Nominee Pushed To Unmask a Sexual Assault Victim’s Identity

Chessy Prout, a freshman at St. Paul’s School New Hampshire, sued them for negligence following a sexual assault she suffered in her first year. Her attorneys asked that she remain anonymous because she was a minor and faced death threats from former students and alumni. Michael Delaney (the attorney representing the $62,000-a year boarding school), opposed the motion. Prout, then 15, became a well-known figure overnight.  

Five years ago, the Prouts reached an agreement with the school. Now, President Joe Biden wants Delaney to be a federal judge. Democrats are caught in a dilemma with their nomination to the First Circuit Court of Appeals. It is difficult for them to support one of their party’s judicial nominees while also supporting survivors of sexual abuse. 

They seem to have chosen the former, despite Prout’s parents’ pleas to derail Delaney’s nomination. Seven out of the 11 Democrats in the Senate Judiciary Committee did not attend Prout’s hearing before them earlier this month. And lawmakers like New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D.)—who once lauded Prout’s transformation from a high-school student into a young activist—are nowhere to be found. 

The Prout family has been entrusted with the task of making sure that Delaney is, in the words Chessy’s father Alex Prout. “an ambulance-chasing attorney.”

“This is a time to do the courageous thing and withdraw this nomination,” Alex Prout spoke at the Washington Free Beacon Sitting alongside his wife, Susan, Alex Prout says that Delaney—having pushed successfully to unmask the identity of his daughter in a civil lawsuit surrounding the elite boarding school’s culpability for her sexual assault at the hands of an 18-year-old high-school senior—does not belong on the federal bench. 

“Mr. Delaney, you do not deserve to be in this position,” Alex Prout spoke. “You’ve chosen the path that you wanted to take to make money off of survivors of sexual assault and defend these institutions.”

St. Paul’s was the first school in the country to be admitted into an academies in 2018. Settlement agreement To avoid criminal charges, we work with law enforcement to prevent potential criminal prosecutions over New Hampshire’s rampant behavior. “child endangerment,” A blemish on an institution that has John Kerry, Robert Mueller, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D.R.I.) among its alumni.

Chessy Prout sought to hold Owen Labrie responsible for his 2015 conviction for misdemeanor sexual abuse. That accountability also included a civil suit against St. Paul’s filed by the Prouts, in which Chessy Prout—referred to as “Jane Doe”— alleged that the school had tolerated “ritual” Students may abuse their sexuality.

St. Paul hired Delaney as counsel. His tactics were aggressive and he was retained by the school. Prout’s diary was demanded by the school, which threatened to interview Prout’s friends. The school also filed a motion to remove Prout from trial.

It’s not uncommon to make victims of sex crime cases anonymous in court. Boy Scouts of America had to face a lawsuit from the victims of a former leader of scouts who molested over 100 boys., Their names were not made public although all the victims were adults at time of lawsuit. The Boy Scouts were represented by Delaney, who ultimately won.

“The motion that Michael Delaney filed on behalf of St Paul’s School was really a veiled threat,” Alex Prout. “The school already knew that she faced death threats, rape threats from the internet trolls. So I think they felt very comfortable with this threat and thought if they made it, that we would … roll over.”

Delaney’s successful push for Chessy Prout to be identified was a major flashpoint during his hearing before Senate Judiciary Committee. Republicans argued that his conduct was unethical. 

Capitol Hill testimony by Delaney that he has never witnessed such a thing. “intended to intimidate any of the parties to the case” and he is asking the Senate to put the incident in context—to “consider the totality of my record over nearly 30 years,” He told the panel. 

The Prout family doesn’t view the attempt to kill Delaney’s candidacy as a political cause. Although they describe themselves as apolitical, they have a history that includes supporting Democratic candidates, causes, and even the Trump-era Women’s March. They are now urging Democratic senators and White House to stick to Biden’s principles. campaign promise You can ensure “justice for survivors” 

Susan Prout cofounded a non-profit to raise awareness about sexual assault. I have the right toThis is the penned text. op-ed Affirming Brett Kavanaugh as Supreme Court justice. Campaign finance records were reviewed by The Free Beacon The Prouts made small donations to several Democratic politicians over the years.

The Prout family has asked each Democratic senator on Judiciary Committee for their support in voting against Delaney’s nomination. However, they claim they have been met with silence. 

Just a few years ago, however, Democrats embraced Prout’s cause—an about-face the Prout family says is a betrayal. 

Shaheen, a New Hampshire Democrat Described Prout as of 2016 “a remarkable, brave young woman.” Prout was the New Hampshire Rep. Annie Kuster’s (D.), guest of honour at the 2018 State of the Union. 

Shaheen and Kuster didn’t respond to inquiries for comment. Shaheen however released a joint statement along with Maggie Hassan (D.), in January calling Delaney “exceedingly qualified” And arguing that his “commitment to justice is evident throughout his career.” 

“We’re calling out this egregious backing away from values that senators have previously said that they support,” Susan Prout shared her story with the Free Beacon. “We feel like politics are being played on the backs of survivors, which is very distasteful. And we are calling that out right now.”

While the White House has not stated that it intends to withhold Delaney’s nomination, the Department of Justice’s legal vetting team met the Prouts. The White House did not respond to a request by comment but the administration. he said It supports Delaney’s candidacy. 

There has yet to be a final Senate vote regarding Delaney’s nomination. Senator Dick Durbin (D. Ill.), who heads the Senate Judiciary Committee did not respond to a request but said Politico He hadn’t decided yet how he would vote for the nomination earlier in the month. 

The Prouts state that they will continue to fight for justice for not only their family but also for the millions of victims of sexual assault.

“We don’t know where things stand right now,” Alex Prout spoke. “We know where some senators have publicly said they stood on the topic of supporting sexual assault survivors and wanting to be advocates for this topic—but we’ve been met with utter silence.”

*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases