Justice for Saseboanon (continued)

For the past 4 years, I have been pursuing a legal battle against the Nagasaki Board of Education after they failed to reprimand the vice principal, who sexually harassed me, and the JET Assistant Language Teacher, who sexually assaulted me. I started this GoFundMe to fundraise my lawyer fees and spread awareness about sexual assault in Japan.

Here's a basic timeline of my trauma.

Sexual Harassment

October 16, 2016

Vice Principal asks me “do you want to come home with me” at a work party.

November 6-11, 2016

My JET Program Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) predecessor visits the high school and I ask her how to report the harassment.

November 17, 2016

Supervisor informs me that she's was alerted about the harassment incident and says “maybe the Vice Principal was just being friendly.”

December 14, 2016

Principal signs my report for the Nagasaki Board of Education to verify that my statements about the incident are valid.

December 2016

Principal translates an apology from the Vice Principal to me.

November 2017

I request a tranfer from the school where I was harassed and I'm denied. Sexual harassment isn't a proper reason to request a transfer, only marriage or physical illiness.

Sexual Assault

Beginning of March 2018

JET Program ALT sexually assaults me in his apartment while we prepare for an English Seminar.

March 5, 2018

I request help from the Nagasaki Board of Ed and they repond with an email saying they can’t do anything.

March 8, 2018

I report my assailant to CLAIR. They respond with an email saying that they cannot provide a punishment for my assailant or help me with the Nagasaki Board of Ed.

March 8-13

The Nagasaki Board of Ed request that I not go to the police and let them keep the incident in office

March 19, 2018

Board of Ed decide that my assailant’s punishment is a scolding from his principal

March 22, 2022

Police. After multiple visits, the police conclude that I could not file a victim report because I’m

1. over the age of consent in Japan (13 years old)

2. uninjured

3. leaving Japan in July

2022 Update

Before leaving Japan in July 2018, I began filing a lawsuit against Nagasaki Board of Ed. The lawsuit was progressing well until the pandemic when all foreign travel closed. The court required me to return to Japan for a cross-examination but Zooming into court online was not an option. Thankfully in October, the borders opened and on October 31, 2022, I attended my cross-examination in Nagasaki City. This was one of the most grueling and emotional processes I have ever done in my life. My lawyer and the defendant's lawyer questioned me for 4 hours, going through every detail of the sexual harassment and sexual assault I survived. While it was painful to remember such terrifying experiences, I left the courtroom feeling accomplished and proud for pushing through.

How to Help

Right now, I’m asking for donations to cover my legal fees. As you can see from the title, it says continued, I'm extremely grateful that previous donations helped cover my lawyer's initial base fee for this lawsuit and my transportation to Japan. However, I still need to compensate my lawyer for legal fees related to her travel (before my cross-examination, she traveled to the court multiple times for closed-door legal proceedings), communication fees (emails, phone calls, Zoom calls) as well as the interpreters who assisted in court and during my press conference. Any funds not used for legal fees will be donated to Pathways to Safety, the organization that assisted me during my traumatic experience in Japan.

If you cannot donate, please share my page. It will help bring more attention to my campaign and to the issue of sexual violence in the JET Program. You can also follow my story on Twitter and Instagram @Saseboanon.

https://linktr.ee/saseboanon