Carnal Society: The Texas-National Sex Scandal

AuthorHouse™

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.authorhouse.com

Phone: 1-800-839-8640

© 2013 by Randal R. Chance. All rights reserved.

Cover Concept by Tonia Chance Tidwell

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 05/11/2013

ISBN: 978-1-4817-1381-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4817-1380-1 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4817-1379-5 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013907235

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

CONTENTS

Acknowledgments

Foreword

Chapter #1     Inception

Chapter #2     Calm Before the Storm

Chapter #3     Carnal Surroundings

Chapter #4     Team Players

Chapter #5     Shame on the House of Cards

Chapter #6     Intimidation Management

Chapter #7     Beginning of the Fall

Chapter #8     See, Hear, and Speak No Evil

Chapter #9     Tragic, Shallow Graves

Chapter #10   Collapse of Reality

Chapter #11   Free Sex and Morning-After Pills

Chapter #12   Dynasty of Lust and Abuse

Chapter #13   The Informal Drug Cartel

Chapter #14   Sex Abuse—The Perfect Storm

Chapter #15   Raped by the State

Chapter #16   Stolen Integrity

Chapter #17   Paid to Rape

Chapter #18   Conclusions

Chapter #19   Deliverance and Reforms

Epilogue

About the Author and the Book

This book is dedicated to my best friend and wonderful wife, Onella. She has supported all my endeavors and traveled around the world with me. A special thanks goes to my daughter, Tonia (aka Princess), for her assistance, and I give my heart-felt love to my granddaughter, Jessica (Little Princess). To a truly loving son, Robert, who was taken from us much too soon; with God’s grace, we will see him later.

This book is also dedicated to the incarcerated youths who were unfortunate enough to spend much of their lives in the criminal justice system, and especially within the Texas juvenile justice system. It is also dedicated to all those who were innocent but, through the miscarriage of justice, spent some of their lives behind bars. The best of luck to all of you, and may your futures be bright. Please don’t cause more pain like you and your peers have caused for the citizens of Texas who, like you, have been subjected to the unjust justice system. Good luck with your futures. I enjoyed my many years with you and hope that I helped you in some way. May your lives be fruitful, and may God’s love and guidance be with you always.

This book is also dedicated to all those individuals that have been unjustly accused, unjustly incarcerated, and then abused internally by the fractured justice system.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to thank all the youth and their families that I came in contact with during my career with the criminal justice system. I would also like to thank all the directors of security, investigators, supervisors, administrators and managers, and directors from all over the state of Texas for their invaluable information and support. Thanks also go to the judges, attorneys, and legislators that assisted with my pursuit of justice. Allow me to express my appreciation to all the many employees whom I worked with, and to those good friends that I leave behind.

FOREWORD

My career associated with the criminal justice system was my inspiration to write this book. I have always been interested in justice, especially when criminal justice leaders abuse their offices and allow the miscarriage of justice and the raping of individual citizens’ and the general public’s rights. The majority of the contents involve abuse of power by leaders and their subordinates in the criminal justice world. The large media sources are full of stories about judges, lawyers, and other criminal justice figures that are involved in sexual abuses and have misused their office to hurt others. My goal was achieved when broad reforms were ordered to correct much of the abuse of power, misuse of state resources, and the rape by the state.

The information provided in this book is a result of twenty years of work with the Texas Youth Commission (TYC) and observations of the numerous agency practices that allow abuse, neglect, and mistreatment of youth in the agency’s care. Many of the abusive practices occur on a daily basis and are well-known to management but are unofficially condoned. Much of the abuse and mistreatment is a result of corrupt officials, who protect selected team players from disciplinary measures to promote their own selfish goals at the expense of the youths under their care.

The following accounts of incidents and daily operations within the commission should help explain many of the unnecessary and senseless actions taken by management, which has hurt the youth of Texas and damaged the morale and hopes of many dedicated staff who are also caught in the mismanagement of the commission. I offer a semi-autobiography in areas where it relates to the main objectives, to show conflicts with normal and accepted policies. Many criminal justice systems probably have similar problems but are hidden behind the waterfalls.

One main reason for the implosion and collapse of the commission appears to be the pervasive, carnal environment throughout the system. The widespread, bizarre sexual orientation from top management through the lowest level employees seems somewhat perverted, accepted, and promoted in some cases. The unusual sexual deviations appear to have led to the explosive youth sex abuse cases that attracted national attention. The shock of the sex scandal and national coverage, in addition to the poor economy, caused massive downsizing in many criminal justice areas. The enigma involved in tainted sexual relationships of management and youthful offenders remains today. Some normalcy must be achieved by a smooth transition from the past corruption into a future of decency for youth and employees.

The carnal relationships involved with President Clinton apparently did not affect his overall popularity; however, the recent extramarital sexual relationship disclosed by General Petraeus appears to have abruptly halted his otherwise brilliant career. If senior, national managers can alter their ethics about illicit sexual activities and pursue their wants, then perhaps it should be no huge surprise that management in the criminal justice system feels it is entitled to special sexual rewards—even from confined inmates! There are some gray shades in these accounts, but there are also many dark black accounts of sexual misbehavior. The US Supreme Court will soon decide if same-sex marriage is constitutional or not. Their decisions may also have a bearing on this gray area of varied and wide-ranging attitudes about sexual issues.

Some people may be alarmed about the release of some of this material; however, it is all true and in most cases is validated by other independent news sources, some included in this book. The information is released in good faith, with the hope of helping to correct some of the internal problems in the criminal justice system. It is not my intention to besmirch any individuals or injure anyone’s character. When referring to individuals and positions, I question their performance but not them as individuals. I simply aim to disclose the practices of the commission that are corrupt and violate others’ rights. The vast majority of people that I encountered were likeable, and many became good friends. Some, however, were questionable in their conduct and ethics, and some were simply criminal-minded people. To anyone that may feel indirectly identified or otherwise embarrassed, I offer my apologies in my attempt to bring reforms to the criminal justice system.

As noted in the Dallas Morning News timeline, which is included, I reported sexual abuse of youth by administrators in 2004, but the governor’s office and other legislators ignored the information, and the sexual abuses continued until the national sexual abuse scandal occurred. Unfortunately, the abuses, sexual and otherwise, continue today!

I refer to my education, training, and experience in the criminal justice system, including law enforcement and public administration, when comparing the unusual commission management practices to well-established and effective management principles used in other agencies. I attempt to expose why there is so much poor leadership, mistrust in the system, pointless policies, and use of intentional practices that allow the abuse and mistreatment of the youth in the care of the commission. Much of the corruption appears to be from a lack of effective training and ignorance; however, many of the internal problems are well-known to management, but ignored at the expense of youth, their families, the staff of the commission, and the public in general. In many cases there is a willing ignorance of abuse by senior management. There is also a willing cover-up by management.

This book contains the history of the commission, the strange and warped culture of the carnal agency, the massive abuses of youth and the mismanagement of employees and state resources. The decent and greening period before the scandal, when the agency was at its best, is also documented. The finest memories and excellent employees who cared about the youth remain in good standing and are always on my mind. Also documented are the scandal, the massive legislative reforms, and the details of why the once-honored commission imploded, causing the Texas’ national disgrace.

I thank you for your interest in criminal justice and these many child care problems, and I hope you can help to correct the numerous flaws that unfavorably affect so many youth and staff of the commission. Youth are sent to the Texas Youth Commission as punishment and to be resocialized. They are not sent there to be demoralized, made further victims, abused, neglected, and mistreated by staff and the system. They deserve better treatment, their families deserve better treatment, and the public deserves better management of the commission.

You can close the escape hatch and realize that your values are not the same as your valuables. Some say that opposites attract, which may be true, but sometimes opposites also attack!

The events describing the abuse, neglect, and mistreatment of youth and staff are true. The actual names of employees are not used, to avoid any embarrassment, or identification; only initials are used when referring to youth in the commission. I do have hundreds of e-mails about mistreatment concerns, with times, dates, contents, and staff involved, but this information is not identified within the book because these individual cases are confidential.

Justice Fractured—Condoned Abuse

Is it a criminal justice system, or a system of injustice?

When those that are condemned by the state are indoctrinated through the guise of rehabilitation and resocialization, only to become refined criminals, is the system broken? Have the troubled youth of America been discarded into an unjust criminal system that permits abuse, mistreatment, and neglect? Are employees caught in this nightmarish situation and misused as pawns by management?

What was once a magnificent white stallion standing proudly on the highest peak of the green meadow has been attacked by the large gray wolves that sneaked into the pasture by night. The wolves snipped at the gallant horses’ heels until they wore him down, and now they are ripping at the horse’s jugular with their piercing teeth, in their final victory of death. The owner of the horse was negligent and left the defenseless horse with no escape route from the impending tragedy. This majestic animal’s muscles now twitch as it groans and fights for its last dying breath. Once a great creature of mighty stature, the ugly and smelly carcass now taints the bloody meadow.

What was said to be the largest and most effectively managed juvenile correctional organization in the world is now trying to dodge their own hungry wolves, the corrupt administrators. Will the wolves again succeed and bring this highly praised agency to its own death bed? Can the best resocialization program in the world be saved from a disaster created by its own mismanagement? Will the shameful path followed by the stallion also be the fate of the agency? Only a true sense of care and responsibility, and a willingness to act on behalf of the youth of America, can stop the hemorrhaging caused by mismanagement. Your attention, action, and dedication to help correct this injustice can prevent the continued tearing of the agency’s jugular and save the endangered youth from more torment from within! Please help—condonement, indifference, complacency, and apathy are only fuel for the disaster to continue.

Contact your representatives and demand that the mistreatment and rape by the state stop immediately.

The decision is yours!

(Your attentive support and helpful actions with this crisis will move legislators to initiate more reforms.)

CHAPTER #1

Inception

That was his ticket to hell!

—The tearful comments made to me by the mother of a young son who had just been sentenced to confinement in the Texas Criminal Justice System

My adventure with the Texas Criminal Justice System began in June of 1982. I completed a twenty-one-year career with the United States Air Force, where I worked mainly in law enforcement, and I worked with many young people. After retiring as a law enforcement superintendent and traveling all over the United States and much of the world, my wife and I were ready for a little more stable lifestyle to raise our two children.

I interviewed for a position at the West Texas Children’s Home (WTCH), in Pyote (pronounced pie-oat), Texas, and was accepted for the job. Little did I imagine all of the confusion, frustration, ill leadership, and abuse of the youth of Texas that I would come to see during the next twenty years! I had never seen employees and clients treated so miserably as what I was about to witness. I failed to realize what a juggernaut was until I had seen the monster in person and worked within its entrails for several years. Amazingly, I have survived thus far without catching the stench and being crushed by this deformity of wickedness that has surrounded me. Over a long period, I found why the management of the commission lives in Shangri-La, and why team players are betrothed to each other. The real entrails of the agency can make one shiver, whereas the condiments exposed smell of a rotten carp.

I was assigned by H. B., the campus youth supervisor, to work with the youths in a dorm. I soon found out that I would not be working with discarded or neglected youth, but rather a combination of the meanest, undisciplined, violent youth from all over the state. Many of these youth were dumped on the state by uncaring families, and by judges and parole officers who were fed up with dealing with the youth in their communities. Much of the behavior of the youth had been created by a combination of flaws made by society itself. Many families were afraid to discipline their children for fear of the over-reaction by some to spanking and to public corrections by parents. On the other hand, there were parents that went to extremes and beat their children. There were many lost children who didn’t know who their fathers were, and some of their mothers were locked up in state correctional facilities. Some simply just did not have a future to look forward to. I remember it was gratifying when I saw a young man or woman leave for his or her home, and I felt perhaps I had helped in some way to straighten out his or her life.

The statistics indicate that most of these youth will become responsible citizens as they progress through life and adapt to reasonable behavior. There are always a few that would waste their lives and continue through life with the adult criminals of other institutions. We heard periodically where our released youth would murder someone or be murdered—but we also heard of the ones who did well with their lives.

We have an abundance of youth today who were fathered by men who thought that the more females they could make pregnant, the better; then they let society take care of the misguided and disturbed youth that were produced. It seemed the more children some families had, the more money the state would pay them. No one seemed to realize the youth couldn’t be cared for properly, or even sent to school in some cases. It’s really disheartening to read some of the writings made by these youth. Many are severely undereducated, and they write and spell just like they talk, which is poorly. Many educated people cannot understand their writing. One develops the means to read and understand their writing after one has read thousands of their complaints.

A career working with youth is very rewarding, but it is also full of frustrations because of circumstances one can’t control. I have heard hundreds of staff over the years comment that the problems are not so much the youth, because they expect their behavior; it’s the problems created by the staffs who supervise the youth, and by the administrators who manage the programs. There are many misguided, irresponsible, and corrupt staffs that are in charge of the programs administered by other irresponsible, incompetent supervisors. Many of the problems throughout the state are created by these staff. Many employees joke that they don’t have time to work with youth anymore because their time is taken up by inadequately trained staff who abuse the youth on a daily basis. Sometimes this poor behavior is through ignorance, and other times it’s through planned misbehavior to mistreat the youth of Texas.

CHAPTER #2

Calm Before the Storm

After being a caseworker for several months and observing the mass confusion of the programs and management, I decided to pursue another less stressful occupation. I had been in the military for twenty years, so I was being used to programs that made some sense and were managed by professional, trained people. I was having a difficult time understanding the commission’s senseless programs and mindless leadership.

The US Marshals Service contacted me and asked if I was interested in becoming an air marshal. They were interested in ex-military personnel with law enforcement experience. These secretly armed people fly as regular passengers on major airline flights. There had been numerous hijackers that took control of flights, many of which then flew to Cuba. It seemed an interesting undertaking; however, I had already flown over much of the world and didn’t desire more flight time. There are even more of these marshals after the 9-11 attack on the United States.

Just before I was about the resign my position, H. R., the assistant superintendent, offered me the job of director of security. He knew my background and felt I was the best suited to manage that program. If he had not offered me that job, I would have left the TYC for a more reasonable career. During the next twenty years, I watched TYC improve and then jump backward in its programs to correct and supervise the youth of Texas. I was beginning to adjust some after the initial shock that I endured, when I’d first seen the strange management styles of the agency and the odd youth it served. We were getting a different type of youth in our institutions—but the same abusive, predator staff were being hired to watch the youth and be role models for their future. The atmosphere in TYC programs attracts people who want to have inappropriate relationships with youths who are locked up. Many have sex with the youth or furnish drugs and other contraband; some take the opportunity to lie, cheat, and undermine the youth and their progress. Others just like the excitement of being able to physically abuse the youth.

Much of the abuse and mistreatment of the youth is discovered through investigation, but many times the consequences are so trivial that it means nothing to the disciplined staff. This creates a feeling among the other concerned staff that it’s all right to abuse the youth, and it brings to mind the question, Why should anyone try to do a reasonable job with the youth? Abuse of the locked-up youth occurs all over the state of Texas. What is so disturbing is that management supposedly has a system to properly care for locked-up youth. It’s all about polished floors, smiling faces, happy staff, and deception of the public trust.

Being the director of security for several years was both enlightening and painful. One of my bosses then began to make my life miserable. He is one of the misguided, irresponsible persons that sucked up to the right people to get his job. That would have been acceptable, except he began to undermine everything that I had been doing. There were two staff members who were trying so hard to get promoted that their physical appearance was changed—from having their noses so far up this supervisor’s posterior. They became the laugh of the campus, but their supervisor loved a kiss-up. He once told me, Why can’t you be more like Curly and Moe? I didn’t respect him as a man, so I thought about slapping him rather than punching him in the face. I decided to not touch him, even though he deserved a thrashing.

I took a vacation, which upset my supervisor, so he came to my house everyday trying to get me to go back to work. As a secondary job, I was also assigned to be the safety officer. When I attempted to train our staff about safety in large meetings, he undermined me and the safety program by laughing and stating, Do you really expect us to do all that? I talked with the superintendent (also known as the superintendent-in-absence) about his behavior, but I received no help. He allowed the assistant to run the campus because he was rarely at work. I did manage to change positions with another staff that was pushing hard to be promoted; it allowed me to move to another position, away from the supervision of this ingrate who was so ignorant.

As the youth rights specialist, I read and assigned thousands of youth complaints, and I investigated over a thousand abuse, mistreatment, and neglect cases where staff members were the suspects. If the public only knew all of the violations of policy and how their youth were mistreated on a daily basis, the TYC would be back under the supervision of the state courts. Judge William Wayne Justice would roll over in his grave. In 1971 he presided over the case against the Texas Youth Council, and it was finally settled in 1984. He was the judge appointed to oversee TYC for several years when mass corruption and youth abuse was discovered all over the state. I reported much mistreatment of youth, and how management covered up the abuse, to the Austin headquarters. They, too, were involved and complicit. They were advised of many problems and yet choose to not interfere with the mismanaged affairs affecting youth and staff. When staff see incompetent administrators and questionable managers, it’s difficult to perform under their misguided influences. If you bring out a problem to management, then you become the problem! Some of this was a part of the good old boy syndrome, and some was by appointing inadequate people who were willing to be a team player. Team player in TYC means blind obedience and no questions asked of incompetence and corruptive leadership. TYC uses special groups who supposedly suggest changes to better improve the agency, but anyone who has attended the meetings knows the administrators have already made their incompetent decisions and will find something wrong with any suitable suggestions.

One superintendent had the staff rotate and conduct the staff meeting for him; that way he could drift in whenever he wanted and let someone else handle his responsibilities. He thought that by having staff read the policy, he was covered if someone violated a policy. It was amusing and frustrating because twenty-five staff members were forced to attend the so-called management meeting, which rarely solved any problems. One psychologist read a policy and then stated, Did anyone even understand what I just read? No one responded, but they played along with the boss’s plan. It didn’t matter if anything was understood, only that it was read at the meeting. TYC conducts meetings to discuss meetings, and it wastes more valuable staff time than the state can afford. It’s all a power struggle and a display of authority by the incompetent leadership. Superintendents and assistant superintendents are special people with privileged perks bestowed by top management.

It seems in some cases that TYC goes out of its way to select the most irresponsible (and in many cases, ignorant) people to fill these positions. I found that much of this was not accidental but a planned practice of the commission. There are team players, protected classes, and primed kiss-ups throughout the agency, all being groomed to take over the top spots when their time arrives. The agency is much like the sleek chameleon, which can change its color to blend in with the current terrain. This too is the agency: it can present itself as a smooth, efficient, and properly managed organization to the public, while through its deceptive practices corrupt staff, it further injures the youth in its control. It hurts society, yet in its diplomatic expertise, it fools the public that it serves. Beware of the lizard—it does have a potent bite.

During 1985 our superintendent became involved with the local media when some of our female offenders began giving sex to five staff members. Everyone but the superintendent knew the campus was in turmoil, and the staff was doing whatever they pleased with the students. Several male staff decided to take advantage of the offers from the female students. If you’ve ever worked around females who are locked up, you know some of them will entice you with their charms and other assets. A helicopter from Odessa, Texas, landed a television crew, who had heard of the scandal and were asking about the corruption. S. A. was made the scapegoat of this embarrassing issue, and he was reassigned to parole work. The staff involved was so overwhelmed by the female students’ offers that they took full advantage of their youthful inexperience—and they even took incriminating pictures of their involvement. The superintendent would stay in his office with the door almost completely closed as he pretended to work. I used to go to his office to obtain signatures for security-related issues, and I could see him at his desk. He had a picture located on the wall, and you could see his reflection behind his desk. He didn’t like to be interrupted, even if it was about serious violations on the campus. I found out over the next several years that most superintendents acted the same way. If you don’t acknowledge that there are problems to be dealt with, then there are no problems, or they will go away. The superintendent who followed this weirdo was not a team player, but he had friends in high places who covered for his lack of management skills and irresponsible leadership.

H. R. knew that there were many problems on the campus and he told me that he kept the superintendent advised of what was going on; however, he choose to ignore the problems and hoped they would disappear. He liked to abuse employees and the youths. He would order staff to climb this monster water tower to watch for youth who had run away. The staff would climb the narrow ladder to the top, with one hand holding a state-issue brick radio, and would hope they wouldn’t fall to their death. We all wondered who would be held accountable if someone fell and was killed while following his directions. He once commented to me, Don’t tell people what your degree is in [law enforcement], because they will think the police are caring for their youth. I thought, Man, you’re really stupid and out of it. His degree was in forestry, but he was allegedly administering a public corrections program. H. R., one of the few administrators that appeared to know what he was doing, was an ex-marine and seemed to really care about the youth and the programs. The Austin alleged managers forced him to resign because they didn’t like his degree area; I guess they wanted him to be in forestry, like his supervisor.

One of the directors stated in a public setting, If the staff slaps a student for touching them, I will understand. It was like throwing gasoline on a fire that one was trying to control. Many of the female staff would wear pants or jeans so tight that they may have well strutted around naked in front of the youth. Management seemed to enjoy the situation, so it went on. It became mental anguish when the male students watched female staff bend over and intentionally spread their legs apart in front of them. Some of these employees actually married these youths, after they had been seduced with this particular type of sexual abuse. It’s interesting that the youth won’t report this type behavior because they are usually the benefactors of the abusive conduct. However, if one ever makes the youth mad for some reason, they will report the conduct.

Superintendents and their bosses were all long-time buddies, and they would cover up any discrepancies concerning the others. When one superintendent completely lost all sensible behavior, and his supervisor and buddy retired from TYC, some problems began to surface for the lost soul. Before, he had proven how unqualified he was to supervise people and once before had been discarded from the institution. His mismanagement and behavior was so poor that the staff turnover increased because of his incompetence. At the time there was some consolation for staff, because he only worked once in a while. His secretary for several years and a friend of mine, Sharon Buick, would cover for him when the Austin office called about something. She finally had enough and transferred to another facility. He was really upset at her and stated, She was disloyal to me. How can one be loyal to incompetence?

This superintendent was funny at times, and by his behavior, he could have been committed to some institution. Yet his caretakers in Austin continued to support his mad and mindless activities. He would hold five-to six-hour management meetings with the room crammed with staff to listen to his ravings. He would tell us how he used a small trampoline to jump the perimeter fence at night to check on staff. He would tell us he would keep us all locked in the campus until he wanted to release us. When Austin was finally forced to do something, he was banned from the institution but was allowed to live in the campus housing for a year and a half, drawing a full salary. It’s amazing how the state spends the public’s money for worthless causes. Many of the old-timer staff allegedly administering TYC have so many skeletons in their own closets that that are afraid to confront mismanagement. Their behavior continues to encourage corruption; if they act to stop abuse, they may risk their own exposure of misbehaviors.

One of our youth was restrained by a staff in the education building during May 1992, and the staff decided to ram the youth’s head through the wall. Fortunately the youth was not severely injured. After I investigated the incident and confirmed that the staff, C. J., had physically assaulted the youth, I turned the report in to the superintendent… who conveniently lost the entire file. He tried to cover up the incident and even told the Austin human resources staff that I had not turned in a report at all. Lucky for me, his previous secretary had left, and the current one, a nice young lady, would not cover for his corruption. She told the Austin staff that I did indeed turn the report into him. We finally were able to terminate the employment of this staff member after he physically abused several youth. He always ensured there was blood all over the area when he was done restraining youth, sometimes for no reason. He always managed to bust a youth’s nose. I found that policy in TYC applied to some staff, if they violated the youth’s rights and abused them. However, other staff who were in the limelight with management could abuse whatever youth they wanted. They always seemed to justify unnecessary force on youth, if they were liked by administration. Needless to say, the whole campus saw this activity, both employees and youths, and it only encouraged dissent.

An attractive female worked in my department during 1985; however, she created serious, continuing problems with youth and the staff. I attempted to provide proper guidance and discipline, but the superintendent would intervene and say, You have to win bees with honey. Treat her better. I finally had her reassigned to administration, but she caused so much trouble there that she finally had to resign. The TYC uses a six-month probation period for new hires so that problem staff can be identified and dropped from employment within those six months. The system rarely works because administrators are so afraid to confront problem workers, and management incompetence creates continuing shortages of staff.

Some felt I should have raised hell or resign. Well, I thought I did raise hell! I had already alerted top officials about the horrible conditions and received no support. I decided it was better to stay and look out for the youth by continuing to do my job and document the abusive conditions.

CHAPTER #3

Carnal Surroundings

There was an older female that worked in the cafeteria. She would take youth into the freezers and fondle and have sex with them in a new, cool, and different way. The boss liked her, too, so she could do as she pleased; perhaps he was part of the whole affair. There was talk that he and she were involved, as was her supervisor at the time. She was able to abuse several students until she became so confident, partially because of management’s unwillingness to intervene, that she was caught on the video fondling and being fondled. Still, she was confident that she could beat the whole situation, and she sued the commission and the executive director.

I remember watching her from the witness stand at the Federal District Court in Pecos, Texas. I felt empathy for her teenage daughter and her husband as they all sat and listened with a room full of people about her sexually abusive conduct with the youth of Texas. It didn’t take long for the court to determine that she had indeed abused youth, and she was finally properly fired. Her husband, who also worked at the WTCH, resigned from embarrassment, and her daughter was forced to drop out of Baylor University. The entire family structure fell apart because this lady wanted to have sexual affairs with incarcerated juveniles. I thought I had seen it all at that point, but the commission and the WTSS was full of continuing surprises.

The administrator managed to lose several reports of investigation about staff mistreatment of youth, and he somehow managed to convince central office to slap staff members’ hands when they should have been fired. One of the female members of the board of directors of TYC, appointed by the governor, would not put up with the abusive conduct and directed the staff be terminated. She delighted me when she directed that another staff be fired for abusing youth by slapping them on the top of the head with a very large service ring. The boss acted like it was a very minor affair. The school was a whole other story, but the youth would confirm that they had learned how to draw, color pictures, and do puzzles while under the care and control of the TYC school system. When the regular teacher was out allegedly sick, a temporary juvenile correctional staff would monitor the class. This happened lots of times, and can you imagine how much it enhanced the youth’s education.

There was a long period while I strived to understand the agency and its unique and strange methods. It was difficult to watch administrators doing acts that I knew were the opposite of what real management was supposed to be. People adjust their inner processes as they try to understand the conflicts between the agency and what reality requires. They learn that there is a real difference between reality and what the agency does on a daily basis.

During many of our rotational facility meetings, the attendees, in addition to discussing the major topics, discussed the latest about internal sexual relationships. Some of the top leaders were engaged in extramarital affairs with their secretaries and coworkers. It didn’t seem strange because there were lots of such situations around the agency. Many felt the situation was more of a personal nature and the business of those involved. Similar situations existed in institutions, halfway houses, and other facilities. The atmosphere in some contract facilities appeared to endorse sexual behavior even though these youth were wards of the state. The climate was agreeable if males and females wanted to get together for sex, and that happened rather often. The simple answer seemed to be, Just provide morning-after pills for the females. The mentality offered by the commission seemed to enhance sexual contact situations, and when detected, it allowed the employees involved to resign or in some cases be reassigned elsewhere within the commission. Administration preferred to move employees from a situation rather than chance publicity from prosecution of the sexual abusers. These examples appear to have led to the disastrous sexual encounters at the West Texas State School that escalated to a national nightmare. Even when this situation was exposed, administrators attempted to cover up the true situation and leave abused youth and concerned employees without any form of justice.

There were incidents of caseworkers using intimidation to have sex with youth under their supervision. Youth routinely reported sex between employees while on duty, and sex between males and females, consensual and forced, was normal in the environment. The agency investigated illegal situations, but their actions to stop the activities were inept.

Some staffers engaged in sexual activities while on youth-escape duty, trying to catch kids on the loose. It appeared to be inevitable, when a male and female that liked each other were on a road in the wilderness and had a chance to engage in sex. What did it hurt? Our superintendent and his secretary were caught in the heat of passion in his state vehicle when a local rancher came upon them. The rancher told several friends about the incident and how the superintendent begged him to not say anything about the situation. The secretary later transferred to another location, but the story of the affair lives on today. It makes one wonder how much the cattle in the area observed through the years.

The overall climate in the commission concerning sexual activities, illicit or otherwise, seemed normal and even encouraged. The top manager had sex encounters, the ranks of the lower level employees had them, and youth on youth, consensual and forced, seemed routine for the environment. Seldom was any punishment doled out, and resignations and promotions made the strange situation even envious to many. It brought a sorry lot into the mix of illegal activity, yet it seemed to be condoned by upper management. One sensed an attitude of expectations and entitlements to these illegal behaviors, mainly due to positions and contacts with the good old boys, or team player society. Many within the management system were indeed players, and proud of it.

One special administrator and his assistant were having sexual affairs with their coworkers, and of course were the talk of the town. A meeting was called where employees were directed to not talk about these special situations. It was interesting because many people knew about the sexual affairs; some had only heard rumors, and a few were shocked about being censored when they didn’t even know about the affairs.

In similar situations in schools, other facilities, and general workplaces, there are usually about 15 percent of the people that know everything that occurs in their work areas. About 65 percent only know about rumors through the coffee area communication line, and 20 percent have no idea what happens at all. We all know some folks that are mega-phones; they are the ones you drop hints to if you want everyone to know about some subject.

I travelled numerous times with an assistant superintendent to Austin and to other facilities for management meetings. He was a likeable person and used me to present briefings on his behalf. I didn’t mind because it gave me lots of contacts with top management from across the state. Like several other administrators, he had special female friends in the Austin complex. It helped his career, and some of their careers seemed to expand. I remember he commented once, I need to be careful, so I can also perform for my wife. There appeared to be an understood, agency acceptance of open sexual permissiveness. This attitude seems to have trickled down and affected employees and youth throughout the commission. Some ladies were well-known for expressing their willingness to work late for people they liked; a built-in perk, I suppose. At out-of-town meetings, many times the same people managed to stay at the same hotel. Again, the activity seemed acceptable to most, who minded their own business. Some exceptions did arise when conspirators became pregnant, or spouses threatened coworkers with violence when cheating in a close-knit housing area.

There have been so many cases of cheating spouses and divorces that I can’t remember the large number involved; it seemed almost common and expected in the commission. I had heard of other agencies, including the military, where cheating and divorces were rampant; however, these situations did not seep into their clients’ lives. In the commission, the illicit sexual activities were much more prevalent, and it did appear to alter the normal contacts and acceptance of abnormal sexual activity that spread to their clients—the youth. Not only did this strange and illegal behavior seem appropriate to many administrators, but some appeared to feel entitled to this activity because of their positions of authority over vulnerable youth. On my YouTube video, several ex-TYC youth confirmed illegal sexual activity by the administration. This activity was done through the use of intimidation and threats to lengthen youths’ incarceration time for refusing to cooperate with the illegal sexual activity. Many employees also documented supporting comments about the abusive conduct.

It is generally understood that people adjust their lifestyle and behavior according to their surroundings. I think this theory has a lot to do with the strange sexual activities in the commission. When employees and youth are bombarded with sexual activity, legal and otherwise, they adjust their thought process and acceptance to include weird behavior. Some people ignore the situation, and others are disgusted, but some people join the crowd of what is acceptable at the time. Some employees’ morals move to the bad side, and they become part of the sexual revolution occurring at the time. Commission administrators, some from the top spots, are role models to their subordinates, and the scheme trickles down to the lowest employee levels. The feeling of being entitled to privileges, illegal or not, induces some to engage in sexual activities with youth. At some point the dam must break, and this seems to be the case of the Pyote facility. The sexual crisis was happening all over the state, and the Pyote incidents were just the tip of the iceberg, as verified by other major news sources. (Some of these incidents are attached as inserts to this book.)

When I was interviewing with Fox News about my book, Raped by the State, their news manager stated, This book and the scandal appears to be somewhat the same as the Catholic Church sex scandal. He was right. The church scandal was even more widespread than the Texas scandal, but the cover-up and protection of sexual predators seems very similar. The victims—the young church members and the young incarcerated state wards—were all victims of the horrid schemes allowed by upper management.

They say that you adjust to your situation. If you have money, you can live a rich lifestyle; if you have meager means, you live in want. I have some friends that lived in modest homes, but with the oil boom, some now live in luxury homes. If people live in a sexual atmosphere, some of those people will feel entitled to share in their surroundings of sex! Thus sparks the downfall of a once honored commission.

Some people in supposedly trusted positions of power fail to control their desire for forbidden sex, regardless of the institution by which they are empowered. The situation within the Boy Scouts organization appears to have related circumstances. When there is no control by the top management—and even worse, a cover-up by top management—official misconduct and abuse of the unprotected seems inevitable. All institutions and organizations probably have their own share of cheating and abuse, but the Catholic Church and the commission hold the prize for the worse abusers known to exist. Geraldo Rivera of Fox News stated he admired my courage for writing my book and bringing out the abuses by state officials. He added, The rape by the state must end!

I was also interviewed by the New York Times and the Associated Press. Both of these news agencies felt that my book had been suppressed by officials, until the 2007 sex scandal was exposed and verified my allegations of rampant abuses to youth and misconduct by officials. Officials were forced at that time to take corrective actions.

The main force behind the vast separate media investigation confirming allegations in my book were made by the Dallas Morning News. They interviewed me many times as they conducted a special series of investigations into all the major areas of the commission. They also verified massive abuses and misuses of power by officials, which vindicated my book even more.

A large number of lawsuits were initiated by families of youth, employees, and groups against abuse and injustice by the state. I was requested to be an expert witness in some lawsuits, some of which continue even today. Thousands of youth, employees, family members, and members of support groups were affected by the sexual scandal. Revelations in my book and separate media investigations confirmed massive abuses and made the public aware of the sour situation in the commission.

A local media unit ignored my book, stating the book was full of allegations and that I was improper to make such allegations. They felt I was not credible for making allegations against the commission. I was not surprised, because some of the workers there were close friends with some of the abusive management. Even after other media investigations, initiated from the basics of my book, confirmed widespread abuses; this unit still stated there was only a one-time violation and that it was no big deal. Their coverage of the scandal was inadequate in my opinion, and it mislead the public by pretending little was actually going on in the abusive agency. Many solid reports from real media sources revealed that their thinking was incorrect and proved my book to be true. Many administrators were fired and forced to retire once the full scale of the sexual abuses were exposed. I think much of the public surrounding the media unit felt the unit lost its credibility, because it appeared to provide inaccurate and inadequate information.

A good time was at hand for the State of Texas, thousands of youth and their families, and the general public. Much of the rape by the state was stopped! The full story of abuses in the commission, including sexual, physical, emotional abuse as well as exploitation, were brought to light through numerous, highly esteemed media sources. The candle in the dark became a bright sunlight as my book gained public attention. I was happy with the Texas legislature, and the legislature was happy with me. Karma does come with patience and perseverance.

When one tyrant officially left TYC after numerous months of paid leave, many felt the campus was punished by the assignment of a strange female administrator. Those of us who thought we survived the turmoil and mismanagement of the previous superintendent hadn’t seen anything yet. This woman acted like she ran out of estrogen, and her pet cat was queer. She set women’s liberation back by fifty years. She was a castaway female who had been abused by the good old boy system. She told me that she had been overlooked by management, and it had severely crippled her career. Little did she know at the time that her own corruptive behavior and mismanagement would curtail her career even further. She thoroughly enjoyed her position and let everyone know that she was special and untouchable. There are plus-size females who don’t have the best figures, but if they dress properly and have a decent attitude, they present themselves in a very fashionable and likeable manner. She could have done so also, but she chose to act the devilish part of a Caesar, with no personal skills or decent traits. That’s the way TYC does business: you perform for a while and move up to the next higher ladder—if you are a TYC team player.

She was always questioning my investigations, unless it agreed with her thoughts. She would try to intimidate me by saying, I think he did this or that, and, I don’t think he did this or that. She wanted me to confirm investigations based on her own ideas, and she was the reason a memo came down from the Austin elites telling administrators to quit interfering with investigations. I had been in investigative work for twenty-five years,