Letter to Editor: New York Times

When Women Speak About Abuse

To the Editor: Re “Bronx Shelters’ Boss Rose Despite Claims of Abuse” (front page, Feb. 7):

I understand the importance of safe spaces. I also understand how not having them can affect the trajectory of your life and how girls who lack them are robbed of their confidence, self-worth and vision for the future.

You quote Erica Sklar, one of the women who said they were assaulted or harassed by Victor Rivera, as saying, “He’s got a lot of power over a lot of vulnerable girls.”

Speaking truth to power is never easy. Especially when those truths are uncomfortable, and jeopardize the very roof over your head.

As New York City reviews its homeless shelter operation, I hope that officials listen to those who have expressed suffering and that the stories of these brave women are a catalyst for change for the most vulnerable among us.

Donna Hylton
Brooklyn
The writer, after release from prison, founded A Little Piece of Light, a group that helps women re-enter society after incarceration.