Chessy Prout

Here's an earnest recounting of a horrible "date rape" in the disgusting 1% Boys Club that is the St. Paul's School of Concord, NH. This boarding school apparently provides students with no supervision or guidance, and the result is not surprising. Everyone in New England is very well aware of this case, where during a traditional "Senior Salute" event tacitly condoned by the school administration, senior boys try and have sex with underage girls and rack up points in a perverse competition. Especially prized are younger sisters of older students. Owen Labrie rapes Chessy Prout and she reports him and he is arrested. There is a trial, and when Labrie's lawyer threatens to identify Chessy, she comes forward and goes public, outing herself bravely and at great personal risk. It's obvious that Chessy is a very privileged white girl who comes from a wealthy family, and she doesn't even mention this until page 299. The entire year after the rape, the impact on Chessy and her family, and most of all, the utter disinterest of the school administration in this ONGOING criminal activity make for a very compelling read. Having a member of the Boston Globe Spotlight Team, Jenn Abelson, as a co-author, is a great advantage.… (more)