By Gerard Flanagan, news writer and photographer, Office of University Communications
CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. –Rachel Denhollander, advocate for sexual assault survivors, will speak at Campbellsville University’s The Gheens Recital Hall, 210 University Drive, at 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 16.
Denhollander is an attorney, author, advocate, educator and representative and public speaker on sexual abuse.
“Mrs. Denhollander has emerged as a champion for the equal treatment of women and is recognized nationally and internationally for the work she has done to make sure that women of the future will not be plagued with the hardships of the past,” Dr. Shawn Williams, professor of political science at Campbellsville University, said.
“She is an example to everyone, regardless of gender, of what it means to be a true leader.
She was the first woman to pursue criminal charges against Larry Nassar, former doctor for USA’s Olympic gymnastics team and at Michigan State University. After Denhollander spoke out publicly, more than 300 women, including numerous Olympic medalists, came forward as survivors of Nassar’s abuse, eventually leading to his life imprisonment.
For her work as an advocate and educator on sexual assault, Denhollander was named one of TIME Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People in the World” and one of Glamour Magazine’s “Women of the Year” in 2018.
She received the “Inspiration of the Year” award from Sports Illustrated, was a joint recipient of ESPN’s “Arthur Ashe Courage Award” and was named a “Michiganian of the Year” by the Detroit News, along with numerous other awards and recommendations.
Denhollander published a book on her experience in 2019 titled, “What is a Girl Worth?: My Story Breaking the Silence and Exposing the Truth about Larry Nassar and USA Gymnastics.”
Denhollander holds a Juris Doctorate from Oak Brook College of Law and an honorary doctorate from the American University of Paris. She lives in Louisville with her husband, Jacob, and their four children.
She is a member of the California Bar Association. Denhollander has educated attorneys on the dynamics of sexual abuse at the American Bar Association’s Sports Law Forum, addressed top corporate attorneys on issues of institutional ethics and fiduciary responsibility at NYU Law School and instructed attorneys at the annual meeting of the Kentucky Bar Association.
For more information on, Denhollander, go to her website at https://rachaeldenhollander.com/about/.