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Pious Perverts See other Pious Perverts Articles Title: TYC (TEXAS YOUTH COMMISSION) abuse dates back to 1999 TYC abuse dates back to 1999 By Michelle West Violence and corruption detailed in documented complaints against the now embattled Texas Youth Commission date back to at least 1999. Documents obtained by The Daily Texan through the Public Information Act reveal reports and letters describing an agency woefully dysfunctional and dangerous for those living and working in its facilities. The request returned 150 pages of correspondence dating back to President George W. Bush's governorship. These records, mostly handled by the office's constituent services, are documented communication between the governor's office and the commission and parents, youths and employees pleading for the state to intervene. "One year ago I worked at Texas Youth Commission in Marlin, Texas," reads one e-mail from 2006. "On March 31 of 2005, two youths tried to kill me and take me hostage. One came behind me and chocked me, and the other come toward me and tried to stab me with a shank." When reports of youth being abused by a principal and assistant superintendent of the West Texas State School began to circulate among legislators and the media in mid-February, the state took action to purge the agency of its presiding officials and conduct extensive investigations throughout the entire system. The former director of the commission, Dwight Harris, resigned shortly after initial media reports were published. Its board of directors, initially refusing demands for their resignation, eventually stepped down en masse on March 16. They were replaced by a special master, Jay Kimbrough, who was Gov. Rick Perry's former deputy chief-of-staff and was appointed by Perry, and acting executive director Ed Owens, formally of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. The two found that the agency was severely understaffed and underfunded. News reports have also revealed that many employees were hired without background checks that would reveal a history of sex crimes for some guards. Kimbrough and Owens reopened hundreds of cases of abuse accumulated before the takeover, and reports of abuse and cover-ups throughout the commission's various facilities continue to surface. On Friday, Kimbrough announced a special panel would be assembled to review most youths' files to decide whether they should continue staying at commission facilities. Those who have served their minimum sentence and are not determined to be a danger to the community will be released, a number that could total more than 1,000. Most youths' sentences are subject to decisions made by administrators based on progress made in their academics and behavior. The commission housed 4,800 youths in 2006, ranging from ages 10 to 21, according to the commission's Web site. "John has been beaten up or in fights two times, and as of Friday, June 11, 2004, was sexually assaulted, and he tells us this is not the only time things like this were tried ..." according to a letter from parents whose son attended the West Texas State School. A mother in Pearland, Texas corresponded with Harris and staff at the governor's office concerning medication for her son. A letter she wrote to the governor claims that after a decision was made not to administer medication to her son, he was sabotaged in his attempts to appeal that decision. "My son was advised in the meeting that he could appeal the decision by writing in on a piece of paper and hand it to the parole officer," she writes. "They failed to tell him was that he wasn't allowed paper or pencil, and that the parole officer wasn't available to except collect calls from the jail." Harris sent a response letter to the mother saying that he asked the facility's staff to write the appeal for him. Later on, another letter states that her son refused to take the medication, and agency policy were not to force youths to do so. "On 9/7/06, my witness and I spoke with an employee, who claimed to have heard and agreed with me that [the parole officer] wasn't trying to help my son," said the mother in the letter. "The employee also added that none of the people in the office were trying to help or care about these kids." One e-mail written in late February to Perry's office after media reports began coverage on the commission problems said: "Numerous Gainesville staff are willing to provide pertinent information regarding sexual relations between staff/students that were ignored." The e-mail also describes "unethical and discriminatory hiring and promotion practices" and a failure to investigate sexual harassment complaints and other grievances at the Gainesville State School campus. "Staff are very aware of the possibility of losing our jobs for contacting you and providing factual information." according to the e-mail. "You will find that the only reason a lot of us are still there is because of the kids, and someone has to do the right thing, just because it's the right thing to do." Letters by administrators in the commission say that disciplinary action was taken against employees in two of the incidences. "The allegation of abuse was confirmed," reads one letter from the Gainesville school superintendent Paul Bartush in response to a parent's complaint letter. "I cannot disclose the level of disciplinary action issued to the responsible staff member, however, I can tell you that disciplinary action will be taken." A flurry of communication between the commission and the governor's office took place after The Dallas Morning News and The Texas Observer ran detailed stories about abuse reports investigated by a Texas Ranger. Documents from the request reveal that former board Chairman Pete Alfaro requested an outside investigation into the matter after the stories were published. All complaints against state agencies sent to the governor's office are then passed on to that agency to handle, said Perry spokesman Ted Royer. News outlets last week reported conflicting statements by the governor's press office as to when the office knew about the West Texas State School investigation. One letter to Perry by a former commission employee complaining of staff abusing youth reads: "You are a good role model, always have been, so I know you won't stand back and not do nothing on abuse of your youths. Thanks again for everything you have done for us, and God bless America. Sincerely yours ..." The letter was written in 2004.
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#1. To: aristeides (#0)
From the "Leave no child behind" governor and the president who wants to force mental health testing and "care" on all our children.
"The line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes nor between parties either — but right through the human heart." — Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
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