Survivor who helped expose Exeter teacher publishes memoir on abuse and accountability

Michael Caven, who helped New Hampshire authorities build the case against former Phillips Exeter Academy teacher Larry Lane Bateman, has published a memoir about grooming, delayed recognition and institutional accountability. The book arrives more than 30 years after Caven turned over evidence that helped lead to Bateman’s conviction.

Why it matters: - Michael Caven’s memoir adds a survivor’s account to a long-running conversation about grooming, delayed disclosure and how institutions respond to abuse. - The book centers on the lasting effects of sexual abuse and the challenge many survivors face before speaking publicly. - Caven says the memoir is meant to help other survivors see that healing and accountability are still possible years later.

What happened: - Caven published Capable of Betrayal: A Survivor Takes Down the Phillips Exeter Academy Sex Predator. - Caven was abused in 1978 on Long Island by teacher Larry Lane Bateman. - Caven later learned Bateman had continued teaching at Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire. - In 1991, Caven turned over hundreds of illicit videos and photographs to New Hampshire authorities. - Caven became an important witness in the prosecution that led to Bateman’s conviction.

The details: - The memoir examines grooming, misplaced trust, shame and the psychological impact of delayed recognition. - Caven draws on both his survivor experience and his work as a retired psychotherapist. - The book also looks at why many survivors remain silent for years before coming forward. - Caven frames the memoir as both a personal account and a broader argument for truth-telling and institutional transparency. - Caven is also the author of Spilling the Tea: Adventures in a Texas Gay Bar Empire. - Caven is originally from New York and now lives in Vietnam. - Caven is available for interviews about survivor advocacy, grooming, delayed recognition, male survivors, institutional accountability, the memoir and the move from silence to speaking publicly. - More information is available through the book site, Caven’s website, the linked announcement and Caven’s Facebook profile.

Between the lines: - The memoir lands in a moment when schools and other institutions are under pressure to confront historic abuse cases more openly. - Caven’s perspective as both a survivor and former psychotherapist gives the book a clinical and personal lens on trauma. - The emphasis on delayed recognition suggests the book is aimed not just at readers of memoir but at survivors who may still be processing events from years ago.

What's next: - Caven is seeking interviews and public discussion around the memoir’s themes. - The book appears positioned to spur more conversation about survivor recovery and accountability in educational institutions. - Caven’s work is likely to keep the Bateman case in public view while broadening the discussion to include male survivor silence and long-term trauma.