Hill Country Authors – Outcry Witness: Survivor Disclosure, Bystander Responsibility, and Systemic Gaps in Justice with JoDee Neil

May 14, 2026

Welcome to a new season of award-winning Hill Country Authors Podcast, sponsored by Stoney Creek Publishing. In this podcast, Hill Country resident Tom Fox visits with authors who live in and write up the Texas Hill Country. Host Tom Fox welcomes Texas lawyer and author JoDee Neil about her practice representing survivors, including in employment conflicts and cases involving children, and her book Outcry Witness.

Neil explains the legal meaning of “outcry witness” is the first adult a child tells about abuse. Neil distinguishes it from workplace bystanders who may be called to testify. She describes writing the book after documenting her own sexual assault experiences, where she was supported by Stony Creek Publishing, and connects survivor “freeze” to trauma research showing healing often begins when survivors disclose to a safe witness. Neil cites CDC data from late 2025, on the prevalence of sexual violence and discusses how Me Too, the Epstein files, and other high-profile cases can increase awareness and help survivors identify safe outcry witnesses. She outlines guidance for parents and notes persistent bias against “disposable children,” trafficking risks, and court-system capacity failures that undermine timely justice.