In a Q&A this January, CAASE Executive Director Kaethe Morris Hoffer reflects on the last 10 years in her role as executive director.

What three words would you use to describe your 10 years as CAASE ED? 

Growth, persistence, and equity.  

In 10 years, we have more than doubled our staff, growing both the volume and the skill in which we accomplish our work. And, we have absolutely persisted in staying true to our mission and vision to end all forms of sexual harm.  

With equity, because of the way sexual harm is both a symptom and a cause of systemic forms of inequality like racism and sexism, our work has always been centered at those intersections. When the Board of Directors adopted our strategic plan in 2018 centered on intersectional equity, it made it possible for CAASE to hire a community engagement team, and to hire Black women to reach under-served communities in Chicago. It made it possible for all of us at CAASE doing our work to be more explicit about our commitment to opposing forms of bigotry that people don’t recognize that are related to sexual harm: racism, sexism, anti-LGBTQ+ bigotry, poverty, disability and immigration status. 

What are you most proud of over these past 10 years? 

I am very conscious that there aren’t many communities in the country that have an organization like ours. I think Chicago is uniquely equipped to engage in society shifting work related to sexual harm, and I think it’s because we exist.  

This past year, 200 survivors got incredibly high-quality legal representation and advice because CAASE exists. Thousands of Chicago youth were educated about sex and sexual harm by CAASE educators. We were part of so many alliances, and laws were changed because we played a critical role in getting them passed. We are an entity that is really good at what we do, and we are really good at collaborating with the survivors we serve, and with other organizations in Chicago that care about harmed and marginalized people. 

Is there a day or story that sticks out to you over your time as executive director? 

The day that the Cook County Criminal Court at 26^th/Cal vacated the criminal record of Brenda Myers Powell was one of my favorite days as executive director. It was the culmination of both our legal services work and our policy work – to pass a law to vacate a person’s criminal record when it stems from their trafficking victimization, and then our team of attorneys used this law. Brenda was not just someone who had endured 20 years in the sex trade, but she is also someone who was a founding board member of CAASE, and she is a survivor leader in her own right and has changed the world to make it better for people who are hurt in the sex trade. But, we were able to stand next to her and do something that required an attorney like we have at CAASE, so that was absolutely one of my favorite days as executive director. 

What do you hope to see in CAASE’s future? 

It continues to keep me up at night that only a tiny fraction of survivors in Chicago get a comprehensive consultation with a lawyer in the aftermath of sexual harm and exploitation. I really hope in the next 10 years, we will at least double the size of our legal team so we can serve more survivors.  

I also want to keep growing our prevention education team so that a much larger percentage of high school students in Chicago could get the benefit of our prevention curriculum. Our curriculum is so good at helping high school students engage thoughtfully with each other about sex and sexual harm.  

I am also confident that within the next 10 years, Illinois will have eliminated the criminal laws currently used to arrest and prosecute people on the supply side of the sex trade. But these are changes I wished would happen yesterday. I really think our society will get better at understanding that supporting people in the sex trade is totally different from supporting the growth of the sex industry itself, knowing how profoundly harmful the industry is. 

If you’d like to support CAASE’s mission and stand with survivors, please consider donating today. Your support makes a significant impact in our ongoing efforts.

---

This piece was published on January 16, 2024. This interview has been edited for length and clarity by Madeleine Behr with input from Kaethe Morris Hoffer. Learn more about our staff here.