In October 2017, Kathryn wrote the article, When the Legal System Fails Sexual Assault Victims, We Have to Find Our Own Closure, for The Washington Post. In that essay, Kathryn intended to highlight the broken legal system and sought to reassure other sexual abuse survivors there are many ways to heal.

Although no specifics were disclosed in the narrative, Kathryn inadvertently exposed a sexual-abuse scandal at her high school. Many people recognized the unnamed teacher, and dozens of victims and witnesses of childhood sexual abuse at the school came forward.

She then embarked upon a three-year mission to advocate for the dozens of victims of childhood sexual abuse. With Make Pres Safe, she relentlessly fought for strict adherence to mandatory reporting laws, permanent changes in school leadership and policy, and accountability and justice for the survivors.

Although that chapter has closed, Kathryn continues her work in victim advocacy, with a focus on legislative reform. She also serves on the advisory board for Stop Sexual Assault in Schools.

Make Pres Safe Timeline of Events

October 2017:

November 2017:

December 2017:

January 2018:

  • Jan 11: Make Pres Safe website launches. It includes a detailed timeline of sexual-abuse allegations spanning decades and involving dozens of students and over ten abusers. (That website has since been taken down; the independent investigation includes all the allegations previously on the website.)
  • Jan 12: Make Pres Safe Facebook page, Twitter account, and Instagram account launch. (The Twitter and Instagram accounts have since been closed down.)
  • Jan 30: At the State of the School event, PHS Principal Mary Miller calls victims and victim advocates “critics” who are trying to “rewrite history.”
  • Media coverage:

February 2018:

March 2018:

April 2018:

May 2018:

July 2018:

  • PHS Principal Mary Miller is promoted to President.

August 2018:

September 2018:

November 2018:

  • Nov 1: Kathryn Leehane and Cheryl Hodgin Marshall meet with Board Chair Sister Pam Chiesa, Vice Principal Andria Bengston, and Director Chérie Somavia to give them information, recommendations, and resources to further make PHS safe and to help move forward. PHS does not act on any of the information.

December 2018:

January 2019:

May 2019:

  • Kathryn Leehane presents The Accidental Advocate: Protecting Our Children from Sexual Abuse at The Sons in Retirement of San Jose.
  • Kathryn Leehane speaks to The Santa Clara County Child Abuse Prevention Council committee to raise awareness of the sexual abuse and misconduct scandal at Presentation High School.

June 2019:

  • Kathryn Leehane speaks to The Santa Clara County Child Abuse Prevention Council committee to encourage the committee to seek justice for the survivors.

July 2019:

  • July 1: Holly Elkins, the new PHS president, starts at the school.
  • Kathryn Leehane speaks to The Santa Clara County Child Abuse Prevention Council committee to encourage the committee to seek justice for the survivors.
  • Media coverage:

August 2019:

  • Kathryn Leehane speaks to The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors to encourage the committee to seek justice for the survivors.
  • Kathryn Leehane speaks to The San Jose City Council to encourage the committee to seek justice for the survivors.

September 2019:

July 2020:

  • PHS releases the results of the independent investigation into allegations of past sexual abuse and misconduct, as well as a letter outlining the support they are offering to the survivors and the changes they’ve made at the school to protect all students.
  • Make Pres Safe publicly praises the transparency, accountability, and compassion shown by PHS and deactivates the website and all social media accounts.
  • Media coverage:

September 2020:

  • PHS announces new Board of Directors. The new Board includes many members of a former advisory board, several of whom, including the new Board chair, previously issued public statements declaring their unwavering support of Mary Miller and expressed harsh criticism of Kathryn Leehane and other survivors and advocates.
  • Kathryn Leehane calls on President Holly Elkins and the new Board of Directors to release a public statement in support of the survivors. They decline to do so.
  • PHS rehires an employee who repeatedly violated mandatory reporting laws and participated in a sexual-abuse cover-up that allowed a pedophile to work at PHS for 20 years.
  • Kathryn Leehane calls on President Holly Elkins to cancel that employee’s contract. She declines to do so.
  • Kathryn Leehane re-activates Make Pres Safe Facebook page.
  • Media coverage:

October 2020:

  • Kathryn Leehane publishes a case study on Stop Sexual Assault in Schools (SSAIS) describing advocacy efforts.

November 2020:

  • Kathryn Leehane writes an open letter to the PHS Board of Directors. She does not receive a response.
  • PHS releases a letter and a supplemental update to the external investigation.
  • Kathryn Leehane issues her response to the supplemental update.

April 2021: