Share Your Story

If you had a troubling experience of sexual harassment, sexual abuse or grooming while at Sonoma Academy, how and when you share your experience (if at all) is entirely up to you. We are open to hearing from all Sonoma Academy community members regarding any troubling interactions they had while at Sonoma Academy. We respect and affirm any choices you wish to make regarding your personal story.

Many Sonoma Academy alumni shared their experiences with Debevoise and Plimpton in 2021, as participants in their investigation into misconduct and institutional negligence at Sonoma Academy.  In November of 2021, Debevoise and Plimpton released a report detailing the results of their investigation.

If you did not participate in the investigation, or would like to share your experience directly with the Athena Project, we are open to hearing from you.

🗣 Two ways to share your story

1. Contact us by email at info@theathenaproject.co. Please be aware that we are not lawyers or mental health professionals. While we welcome the opportunity to connect with other alumni, our capacity to offer support is limited.
2. Contact our attorney, Larry King, at kingesq@pacbell.net. Larry can keep your name and your story confidential, even from the leaders of the Athena Project.

If you would like to speak with the Press Democrat, you can contact journalist Kaylee Tornay at kaylee.tornay@pressdemocrat.com.

🗝 How are we protecting victims’ privacy?

From the very beginning of this process we have adhered to three commitments:

1. No one’s experience or name will be shared with any other person, at any time, without their consent.
2. No one's account of their experience will be used in any way that they do not specifically agree to.
3. Anyone can retract their account at any time. If you choose to share your experience with us and later wish to retract it, we will delete the account of your experience and any record we have of your communication with us.

Finally, we know that revisiting painful memories can cause distress.  We've put together a list of mental health resources to help you manage difficult emotional, mental, and physical reactions. We hope you'll let us know if there is anything else we can do to support you.