Obermeyer Jr.: Guilty until proven innocent
As you may have read, in April of this year, I was falsely accused of a rape that allegedly took place 22 years ago.
The court, at the behest of the plaintiff, ruled the case “dismissed with prejudice,” which means the court closed the case and it can never be opened again.
As it was a civil (not criminal) case, they were seeking monetary damages.
I consulted my brother Wally, who was battling brain cancer, as his highly respected investment business would be adversely affected by my decision not to negotiate but to let this go public. My mom and dad’s reputation would be maligned, as well, and it would damage our Obermeyer ski clothing company, centered in Aspen since 1947. All three insisted I fight this and trust in the truth to prevail. I refused any mediation or any settlement discussions whatsoever with the plaintiffs’ attorney. They then filed these charges hours before the statute of limitations on civil cases expired.
Many have questioned my integrity and believed these horrific accusations. In the eyes of the public, I was presumed guilty until proven innocent. I took immediate action to protect our company from this attack by stepping down as CEO and co-chairman of Obermeyer.
The months of this journey have felt like a walk through the Valley of Death, albeit with the profound gift of having seen who my true friends really were.
I drew strength from my love for a family member who is a survivor of sexual assault. This accusation felt like an attack not only on her but on all women who have suffered such trauma.
The greatest pain I endured has not been for myself. I know the truth. It has been for my perfect brother, Wally, who passed away during this unthinkable injustice, having lived his life impeccably and with great honor. He did not deserve this, nor did my father, who has loved Aspen and our community since he began teaching skiing here 80 years ago, nor my beautiful mom, who has quietly helped people in need and built our company while holding our family together. This has injured all those who love me.
Nothing is more important to me than my honor and living life as an asset to my family, friends, and community.
My lesson from this ordeal underscores our moral obligation to uphold the legal principle of “innocent until proven guilty.” Not trial by newspaper. It deeply angers me that someone can destroy another person’s reputation and then walk away with no punishment. Nonetheless, I’ve decided not to pursue a wholly justified malicious prosecution case against the plaintiff and her attorney for the damage that they caused, in favor of focusing on positive aspects of my life while adhering to my philosophy of conflict resolution.
Klaus Obermeyer Jr.
Aspen
