cept ive - b att ling , ▁etc ." ▁▁ ▁SN AP ▁denied ▁the ▁alleg ations . ▁Out re ach ▁Director ▁Barbara ▁Dor ris ▁told ▁the ▁St . ▁Louis ▁Post - Dispatch , ▁" That ' s ▁simply ▁just ▁not ▁true ," ▁out re ach ▁director ▁Barbara ▁Dor ris ▁said ▁about ▁mis re present ing ▁the ▁best ▁interest ▁of ▁ab use ▁vict ims . ▁" We ▁have ▁been ▁and ▁always ▁will ▁be ▁a ▁self - help ▁support ▁group ▁for ▁vict ims ." ▁Dor ris ▁added ▁that ▁she ▁couldn ' t ▁remember ▁if ▁Hamm ond , ▁who ▁ident ifies ▁as ▁a ▁trans gender ▁woman ▁and ▁is ▁currently ▁a ▁journalist ▁for ▁the ▁L GB T ▁paper ▁Wind y ▁City ▁Times ▁in ▁Chicago , ▁had ▁been ▁fired ▁or ▁not . ▁SN AP ▁president ▁Barbara ▁Bla ine ▁issued ▁a ▁statement ▁which ▁read ▁" The ▁alleg ations ▁are ▁not ▁true . ▁This ▁will ▁be ▁proven ▁in ▁court . ▁SN AP ▁leaders ▁are ▁now , ▁and ▁always ▁have ▁been , ▁devoted ▁to ▁following ▁the ▁SN AP ▁mission : ▁To ▁help ▁vict ims ▁he al ▁and ▁to ▁prevent ▁further ▁sexual ▁ab use ." ▁On ▁January ▁ 2 4 , ▁ 2 0 1 7 , ▁The ▁Chicago ▁Sun ▁Times ▁reported ▁that ▁Clo h ess y ▁" vol unt arily ▁res igned " ▁from ▁SN AP ▁" effect ive ▁Dec . ▁ 3 1 ," ▁according ▁to ▁a ▁two - paragraph ▁email ▁from ▁SN AP ▁Board ▁Chair w oman ▁Mary ▁Ellen ▁Kru ger . ▁Clo h ess y ▁told ▁the ▁Kansas