Clemson Speaker to Address Domestic Violence

Domestic violence survivor and educator Kit Gruelle will speak at Clemson University at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 8, at the Hendrix Student Center’s McKissick Theatre.

Gruelle’s lecture is part of a series named in memory of the late Marge Putnam, a Clemson employee who died in 2012 as a result of domestic violence. Gruelle's appearance is also part of the Women's Leadership speaker series “Step Up to Leadership,” which focuses on women who have come forward to make a difference in their communities.

Gruelle will speak about Susan Still, whose story shows the difference a colleague can make in the life of a coworker facing domestic violence at home. Still's husband abused her emotionally and physically for years, but his prosecution would not have been as successful without the support of her boss and a coworker. 

Gruelle has dedicated the past 25 years of her life to combatting domestic violence. As a victim’s advocate, Gruelle educates criminal justice professionals, health care providers, law enforcement, legislators, faith leaders and other allied professionals about domestic violence reform. In addition to serving on the North Carolina Crime Victims Compensation Commission, Gruelle is featured in several training films and has written protocols for sexual assault and domestic violence first responders, public safety dispatchers and hostage negotiators.

Gruelle is executive producer and project creator for the documentary “Private Violence: The Movement Against Battering in America.” Awarded grants from the Sundance Institute and The Fledgling Fund, the film traces the history of the battered women’s movement and is scheduled for national release in 2014.