James Chester’s Letter Detailing Allegations of 1963 Rape to Frances Moseley, President & CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston
September 16, 1996
Dear Mr. [sic] Moseley:
Thirty-five years ago, in the summer of 1961, when I was a nine year old boy, my mother sent me to a day camp that was operated by and housed within the Boys’ Club of Boston in Charlestown. During that summer, I experienced a criminal assault at the Boys’ Club that changed my life dramatically and terribly.
In a separate building that was connected to the main building by a long, dark tunnel, I was regularly taken along with other boys to a gym where we were taught to play basketball. On several occasions, two male counselors who were assigned to that gym forced myself and other boys into an equipment room that adjoined the gym. Once inside, we were forced to sing songs in front of these two men while they ridiculed us and tried to humiliate us. These lessons in cruelty continued and worsened with time. Later, we were forced to strip naked and sing songs in front of these men who continued in their attempts to humiliate us. In the worst incident that I have been able to bring up thus far, these men summoned me into the room one afternoon. I refused and tried to flee the gym. They chased me to the door and blocked my escape. They then dragged me into the room and ordered me to strip naked. The experience was so terrifying that I tried to hide myself under some gym mats that were being stored in the room, but my attempts failed. Again, I was forced to sing songs in front of these men while they humiliated me. And then, while one watched, the other one committed a sexual assault upon me for the sole purpose of causing me pain and humiliation. It did.
As you might imagine, I could not bear the brunt of these horrifying assaults, and I went mad — literally. However, though my mind shut down, the monstrous emotions that these assaults left in me never subsided. As a result, thereafter, I had to live with unrelenting feelings of overwhelming humiliation, fear, and self-abomination every day of my life, several times a day. My life became an unending nightmare after my summer at the Boys’ Club in Charlestown. I spent nearly a decade in psychotherapy and even required hospitalization at one time in my twenties.
I’m very happy to tell you that I have begun to recover from this massive injury. In May 1996, I finally found the wisdom and the courage to brave the terrifying emotions that have haunted me since this assault, and it was at that time that I learned of this crime.
I hold both the Boys’ Club and these two men fully accountable for the evil that was done to me in that little room of horrors. However, I wish to get on with my life. Having finally brought this reality into the light, I must now work to purge myself of the emotions associated with this experience, if I am to move beyond it once and for all. And in order for me to undertake this very painful and difficult ordeal, I must take a lengthy leave of absence from my job and devote myself full-time to the work. That is an expense which I cannot afford, and so I am writing you to ask for help from your organization.
I would appreciate your response at the above address. If I have not heard from you by October 4th, I will presume that you do not wish to respond.
Thank you for reading my letter.
Sincerely yours,
[signed]
James Chester