One Sunday morning in May 2014, I woke up to find myself in the middle of most people’s worst nightmare.

Stolen, half-nude photos of me were splashed across the pages of my hometown newspaper, along with allegations that falsely branded me a whore — even a predator.

I lost everything.

Not just my job, but my career. My calling as a teacher and a school leader. And most of my friends disappeared in the blink of an eye because — even if they believed I was being portrayed unfairly — they didn’t want to be associated with the “mess.”

I came to the painful realization that I would have to rebuild life from scratch, with the added burden of a scarred and tattered reputation. Despite being broken and feeling hopeless, I put one foot in front of the other and pushed forward. I eventually put myself through law school as a single mom and have since rebuilt my life and my career.

Now, I work for one of the most notable anti-violence law firms in the country and every day I get to help people who are facing the same types of injustices that I faced all those years ago.

The advice delivered in the Guidebook is not just based on my own experience — it is also based on what I learned from hundreds of other public shaming survivors that I have met, have learned from, and helped along the way.

Annie Seifullah, Esq.
Attorney | Advocate | Author
AnnieSeifullah.com