In 2007, Texans learned of of a massive sex abuse scandal at the Texas Youth Commission. When news of the scandal broke, Governor Rick Perry claimed he knew nothing about the abuse until he saw it in the paper. That was a lie. In fact, Governor Perry and his office were informed of a stalled investigation into the abuse as early as February 2005, two years before news reports first came out.
Gov. Rick Perry's staff knew as early as June 2005 that two administrators at a Texas Youth Commission facility were not being prosecuted on allegations of sexually abusing youths in their custody, according to records obtained Tuesday by the Houston Chronicle.
Two months ago, four leading advocacy groups that have worked with TYC for years issued a statement saying that systemic abuse at TYC still remains. Immediately, Perry’s board members at TYC denied the allegations, despite irrefutable evidence to the contrary, and have stonewalled the story ever since.
Nearly four years after the Texas Youth Commission was overhauled after a sex abuse and cover-up scandal, four leading advocacy groups for incarcerated youths said Tuesday that little has changed. Widespread unsafe conditions and various forms of abuse and mistreatment continue to plague the agency, they say.
The news last week reads a lot like reports of sexual abuse and cover-up from 2005-2007, when it was discovered that drastic acts of sexual abuse of children at the West Texas State School were swept under the rug and ignored by TYC officials, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, and Texas Governor Rick Perry. In fact, Governor Rick Perry claimed he knew nothing about the abuse until he read about it in the paper -- only for it to be later discovered that his office was informed of a stalled investigation into the abuse as early as February 2005, two years before news reports first came out.
In the coming weeks, the most recent scandal at the Texas Youth Commission will be discussed at length. In order to put these allegations at TYC in context, it is necessary to look back at what happened the last time the public learned of misconduct at TYC. The recap below is an attempt to re-tell the TYC scandal from 2007, using facts and quotes gathered from news stories. The following sources are used repeatedly, and are an excellent starting point for anyone who wants to dive deeper into the scandal:
The Texas House of Representatives today had the chance to take serious action to ensure that all of those who have done wrong at the Texas Youth Commission are held accountable.
However, House Speaker Tom Craddick put a stop to that.
During floor debate on House Bill 427, House Democratic Leader Jim Dunnam (D-Waco) proposed an amendment which would have strengthened the bill, which related to prosecution of crimes occurring at Texas Youth Commission Facilities. The original language of the bill would have merely codified the ability of a county or district attorney in a county in which a TYC facility is located to request that the special prosecution unit of the Texas Attorney General's Office prosecute an offense.
Dunnam's amendment, which had support from Democrats and Republicans, however put even more teeth in the bill and would have created an independent special prosecutors to investigate the Texas Youth Commission. As a press release from Leader Dunnam's office noted, the Legislation:
Because the Texas Attorney Generals office knew about not only assaults, but also sexual assaults within the Texas Youth Commission, and hid it under the rug for political purposes, he should be fired. The buck stops at the top.
The following are reasons Gregg Abbott should be fired as a result of what happened at the TYC facilities:
When historians look back upon this era they will confront a moral failing so profound that the bloody misadventure in Iraq may be relegated to Chapter Two. The moral failing is the systematic abuse, neglect and abandonment of children by callous Republican leaders who unblushingly describe themselves as "pro-family."
Lobbyist and Right Wing commandant Grover Norquist, whom Karl Rove called "an impresario of the center-right," famously said he wanted to drown government "in a bathtub."
Norquist's choice of a tragically frequent method of child-murder as a metaphor for his political philosophy is damning evidence of the current GOP's abandonment of the innocents.
Norquist is, of course, the Bahamian sailing buddy and advisor to Gov. Rick Perry. The man who speaks favorably of bathtub drownings taught Perry his approach to public education.
The Lone Star Project secured an e-mail showing proof that the U.S. Justice department, along with the Texas Attorney General, all knew of the sexual assault scandal engulfing the Texas Youth Commission. Even though victims were interviewed and enough circumstantial evidence was established, neither the Texas Attorney General's office under Greg Abbott, nor the U.S. Justice Department under Alberto Gonzalez, took the necessary steps to stop the sexual assault of children housed in the commissions system. Why? Electing Republicans was more important then protecting incarcerated teenagers. I guess now we see Republican policy on reforming troubled youth includes allowing them to be sexually assaulted.
LSP correctly draws the clear conclusion that politics during an electoral season took precedent over protecting assaulted teenagers. Considering Gonzalez is under assault for a politically motivated attempt to replace all U.S. Attorney's across the country this Bush crony can ill afford to have yet another black eye. But he certainly deserves one for this.
The Lone Star Project secured an e-mail showing proof that the U.S. Justice department, along with the Texas Attorney General, all knew of the sexual assault scandal engulfing the Texas Youth Commission. Even though victims were interviewed and enough circumstantial evidence was established, neither the Texas Attorney General's office under Greg Abbott, nor the U.S. Justice Department under Alberto Gonzalez, took the necessary steps to stop the sexual assault of children housed in the commissions system. Why? Electing Republicans was more important then protecting incarcerated teenagers. I guess now we see Republican policy on reforming troubled youth includes allowing them to be sexually assaulted.
LSP correctly draws the clear conclusion that politics during an electoral season took precedent over protecting assaulted teenagers. Considering Gonzalez is under assault for a politically motivated attempt to replace all U.S. Attorney's across the country this Bush crony can ill afford to have yet another black eye. But he certainly deserves one for this.
It's not uncommon for Perry to take a little time off when the legislature meets. During the 3rd special, Perry decided the educational crisis was so important that he had to go to Italy.
Now, Perry is out of the state again, and a bipartisan group want Lt Governor David Dewhurst to help during the TYC crisis.
The letter requests Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst, in his role as current acting governor, place the Texas Youth Commission (TYC) under Conservatorship immediately.
Under the Texas Constitution, Lt. Gov. Dewhurst currently possesses all the powers and authority of the office of the governor because Governor Perry is out of the state visiting Dubai. As the current acting governor, with full powers, Lt. Gov. Dewhurst has the authority to place TYC under immediate Conservatorship. Conservatorship has been recommended unanimously by the full Senate and the Legislative Audit Committee.
Additionally, the Joint Select Committee on the Operation and Management of the Texas Youth Commission unanimously voted to express their complete lack of confidence in the TYC board. Placing TYC under Conservatorship will suspend the authority of the TYC board and transfer the board's functions to the conservator.
The letter was authored by State Representatives Pat Haggerty, Valinda Bolton, Delwin Jones, Jim Dunnam, Tommy Merritt, Pete Gallego, Robert Talton and Scott Hochberg.
UPDATE: Rep. Jim Dunnam just now asked a series of questions of Speaker Tom Craddick, making it clear that while Rick Perry is out of state, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst is acting governor. Dewhurst could right now fire the Texas Youth Commission Board and place the troubled agency in conservatorship. Gov. Dewhurst?
Legislators vote to fire the Texas Youth Commission Board, despite Rick Perry's continued resistance and refusal to place the troubled agency in conservatorship. The Texas House overwhelming rejects Perry's deal with Merck and his HPV vaccination order.
Lawmakers want a moratorium on the boondoggle-shaped thing called the Trans Texas Corridor. Another Perry "privatization" scam, Accenture, bites the dust after the company fails miserably to get Texas kids the health care they need and deserve. Perry's fast-tracking of environment-destroying coal plants has cratered.
While Perry was refusing to place the TYC in competent hands, it would appear his entire administration is in a kind of conservatorship as the public and the Legislature try to repair the damage from his years in office. No modern governor has approached failures of this magnitude. Roads. Schools. Health care. Public safety. Environment. What is left?
If not yet convicted of moral terpitude, Perry has certainly become moral turpentine, dissolving the social fabric with his administration's lobby-ridden greed, graft and scandal.
It may not be long before the legislative branch realizes that since it is having to run the government, it may be time to get someone new to run the government. Impossible, you say? Probably, but it is no longer an idle question to wonder whether Perry will finish his term. And not because he's become vice president.
Now Perry is on a tour of the Middle East, and one has to wonder whether his passport shouldn't be revoked. If he can do this to Texas, what in hell will happen to that volatile area when Perry arrives?
