This story belongs to my mother.
In 1970, in Salem, Utah, C.G. was a naive and innocent 11 year old, happy and willing to babysit the children of her Sunday school teacher. She endured multiple episodes of fondling, kissing, and hypersexualized discussion, on her teacher’s living room floor.
THEN, the wife of this vile human pulled her aside (by one of her pigtail braids) and said, “I know what you did. You’re a disgusting, dirty little girl. Stay away from my husband.” My mother, horrified, ran home in the dark and cried for hours.
THEN, on Sunday, THE FUCKING BISHOP called her into his office. Told her that the Sunday school teacher had told him what had happened. Because of an unhealthy and stressful home life, she began to cry and beg the bishop not to tell her dad, as he was easily angered and abusive. The bishop told her to stay away from the teacher, to make sure she was never alone with him. Basically, he affirmed her guilt and shame and put it all on her. I believe the teacher is now dead, or I’d be printing fliers and papering his house. Disgusting.
Side note:
A few years ago, my grandfather told my mother (in front of me) that he had been about to start a temple session and who did he see but the Sunday school teacher, also about to begin A TEMPLE SESSION. (At some point my grandfather must’ve found out about what happened.) According to my grandfather, they exchanged silent nods and then my grandfather had to leave the session because of how upset he was at seeing him. So here’s my poor mother, a terribly messy alcoholic with 4 marriages under her belt, realizing that EVEN NOW, no one is holding that “man” accountable.