For survivors of sexual abuse perpetrated by James Mikkelson, formerly of Shanghai American School.
Due process. Women would love ANY process. They would love to even be heard.
Ijeoma Oluo writes about “due process” for men accused of sexual harassment and abuse.
How often are we manipulated into prioritizing the abuser over the abused? How often are we being suckered into a side of a debate that we shouldn’t even be having?
Submitted by R. (Thank you!)
Did you know that English fluency makes you less believable as a child abuse victim?
And also that White people have a monopoly on English?
I won’t even comment on the deluge of responses that have seized the publicity around this blog to soapbox about how “Asian schools” allow sexual predators to run wild with impunity. Really harkens back to the moment commenters jumped down my throat as soon as I said the words “White privilege.”
News of James Mikkelson’s dismissal and the allegations of sexual abuse have received coverage by Shanghaiist in an article published today. The piece quotes at length from posts and comments on this blog. It also links to an alumni letter of support for the creator of this blog and all survivors. You can add your signature to it here.
Due to the recent unexpected surge in traffic and interest (thank you for sharing this page on social media!), my finite energy and the mental health costs of engaging with trauma, my responses have slowed down. I will prioritize responding to survivors who have messaged my inbox. My apologies and thank you for understanding!
It’s time to stop mourning the complicated legacies of terrible men and start mourning what we lost from the people they targeted.
On Vox: “Instead of mourning great art tainted by awful men, mourn the work we lost from their victims.”
In reply to this comment from another survivor, which turned into a post because this got so long.
dear fellow survivor,
is there ever a day that you don’t think of him, that you don’t think about what happened anymore? does it get better? how long does it take for the pain to cool down?
My heart goes out to you.
I know exactly what you mean about having to hide your fear and anguish from peers who bring him up, peers who only know him as a teacher I once adored. Your anger and pain are valid. I am so sorry that you are hurting.
This post was written in response to this comment, reproduced in full below. Content warning for descriptions of child sexual abuse that are not graphic but will likely be triggering for survivors, as I describe being groomed and abused from my point of view as a teenager.
To the owners of this blog:
It is good to see that you are trying to create a space for honest discussion and support. In light of this desire for honesty, I have a couple points of concern.
1) There is a difference between sexual communication and “sexual abuse” or “criminal behavior.” While I do not doubt the validity of your experiences, it is important for such distinctions to be made clear in order to best educate people on sexual misconduct.
2) Any research would quickly reveal that publishing a person’s full name and birth date in addition to unsubstantiated claims about sexual “abuse” and “criminal behavior” falls under the crime of Defamation under tort law. In addition to being a crime, such information does not hold significant value to the conversation that you are trying to have.
3) Note that the HoraceMann survivor blog is a space for healing and discussion – this page is essentially a hate page directed at a single individual and I’m sure we don’t want that.
In full support of improving sexual education at SAS, I would advise you to make a new, more suitable blog for genuine conversation about sexual misconduct and violence prevention in light of the concerns above.
-SAS Alumnus
Dear Concerned SAS Alumnus,
James Mikkelson sexually abused me while I was a minor.
Dear Parents,
I am writing to let you know that James Mikkelson, high school English instructor on the Puxi campus, will no longer be teaching at SAS. Due to choices Mr. Mikkelson has made that are inconsistent with SAS standards for integrity and professionalism, we have dismissed him, effective today. We recommend that students at SAS have no further contact with him.
Continue reading “Letter from SAS Head of School announcing Mikkelson’s departure”
This blog was created by and for survivors of sexual abuse perpetrated by James Mikkelson, a high school English teacher formerly of Shanghai American School, to connect with one another, share their stories, and have their voices heard.
Survivors of James Mikkelson 