1/n: William Loeb was a child molester. After decades of silence, his stepdaughter, Nackey Scagliotti, has gone on the record about the abuse she and her late half-sister, Edith Tomasko, experienced long ago. #MeToo #nhpoli #fitn unionleader.com/news/stepdaugh…
2/n: William Loeb has been dead for a long time, but this kind of disclosure still matters. It may empower others to finally share past abuse and, perhaps, gain some closure. It’s also important to anyone who cares about a full, accurate account of history.
3/n: Scagliotti and her nephew, Cody DuBuc, who is also quoted in this story, are incredibly brave for sharing this information, as well as the longterm impacts the abuse had on both women.
4/n: I’ve been thinking a lot lately about archival silences—whose stories get told and whose do not. Systemic power imbalanced (sexism, racism, etc.) and stigma play a role in that. Disclosures like this one help correct the record and present a fuller account of the past.
5/n: The modern Union Leader did the right thing by publishing this story and removing William Loeb’s name from its masthead because, as today’s editorial says, “William Loeb is not a man to be celebrated.” unionleader.com/opinion/editor…
6/n: I wrote a biography of Nackey Scripps Loeb, William Loeb’s third wife, mother to Scagliotti and Tomasko, and the publisher of the Union Leader for nearly 20 years. (Quick note: Nackey is a family name derived from Nackie Scripps, wife of newspaper baron E.W. Scripps.)
7/n: My book was about many things: a powerful woman overlooked by history, the Scripps newspaper family, the NH primary, the roots of rightwing media and the way its architects (including both Loebs) espoused racism, sexism and homophobia to advance their political cause.
8/n: Researching the book took several years and involved trips to archives in four states, plus many interviews, both on the record and off. I also spent a summer sifting through Nackey Loeb’s personal papers, which are housed in a private archive.
9/n: Scagliotti (an accomplished newspaperwoman in her own right) graciously corresponded with me via email throughout the research process, providing crucial information about the Scripps family, her mom’s approach to media management and other helpful details.
10/n: She is a private citizen, and I am grateful to her for sharing what she was comfortable sharing at the time.
11/n: I wasn’t surprised when I learned of William Loeb’s pattern of abuse. However, I didn’t have the evidence I would have needed to responsibly publish that kind of information in my book.
12/n: This, btw, remains a problem for modern journalists attempting to document sexual misconduct, especially when such accusations involve powerful men, something highlighted by the 2017 #MeToo movement.
13/n: This is another reason why Scagliotti’s disclosure is so important. Even the most thoroughly researched projects include silences. In this case, filling that silence is a reminder that history too often erases not just women’s accomplishments but also their suffering.
14/n: I’ll close by saying how proud I am of Scagliotti and DuBuc for sharing this story publicly. I hope this process brings them and their family some peace.
P.S. Sexual violence is far too common and impacts people of all ages and genders. If you or anyone you know needs help processing (or escaping) sexual abuse, please contact an organization like this one: rainn.org
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