How I Put the Middle School Coach and Teacher Who Sexually Abused Me Behind Bars

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Raised in the idyllic and close-knit northern California town of Moraga, Kristen Lewis Cunnane had it all at 12: a treasured family, close friends, a valued position on a variety of sports teams, and excellent grades. By any pre-teen’s standards, hers was certainly a life to envy.

Unfortunately, this happiness was to be short-lived as Kristen suffered sexual abuse at the hands of her middle school science teacher. Afraid to discuss the event with her parents or close friends, Kristen turned to a trusted female coach and teacher for guidance. When they first met, Julie Correa was seemingly the perfect role model for a naive 11-year-old. However, this woman spent years earning Kristen’s trust while at the same time manipulating her psyche. In a sickeningly ironic twist, this so-called mentor ultimately transformed Kristen’s life into one of sexual slavery over the entirety of her high school tenure. With controlling and calculated precision, Correa was able to both isolate Kristen from her family and simultaneously assault her in her childhood bedroom.

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING:

“It’s not often in your life that you come across people who can play so many pivotal roles in your life at one time. To me, Kristen Cunnane has been a coach, a confidant, a guardian angel, a role model, and one of my dearest friends. With her coming to practice every day with a smile on her face, no one could have ever imagined what she was going through. Her strength and resilience through her story is enough to inspire anyone, and helped me personally get through some of my darkest days.” — Missy Franklin, 5-time Olympic gold medalist

"It's difficult to imagine the strength and courage that it takes to share a story like this, let alone experience it first hand. Being vulnerable and willing to share her story will, undoubtedly, help countless others who have struggled with abuse. It takes time and endless work, but it is possible to heal.  Kristen has been to hell and back and has emerged stronger than ever. This is a tough story, but an inspiring one. Kristen is an incredible Mom, wife, and friend. I am proud to call her one of my closest friends and am in awe of her resilience every day."  -- Natalie Coughlin, 12-time Olympic medalist

"This is a stunning personal narrative about abuse and its consequences. It is also an affirming narrative about how support from family, friends, teammates, coworkers, and the legal system can be critical to recovery."— Leslie P. Francis, Distinguished Professor of Law and Philosophy, University of Utah, editor of Date Rape (1996)

Author: Kristen Cunnane
Page Count: 398
Trim Size: 6 x 9
Publish Date: April 10, 2019
Imprint: Sunbury Press
Genre: History

FAMILY & RELATIONSHIPS / Abuse / Child Abuse
SOCIAL SCIENCE / Sexual Abuse & Harassment
BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Women