How this sort of criminality was allowed to run unchecked for so long is beyond me -- and how the individuals in question were allowed to retain the credentials necessary to continue to work in education is unfathomable.

A long-simmering scandal over sexual abuse of juveniles at schools for youthful offenders broke into the open on Tuesday with an outraged state senator calling for a takeover of the troubled Texas Youth Commission.

At a school in West Texas, a youth commission official acknowledged at a hearing of the State Senate Criminal Justice Committee, the schoolÂ’s superintendent was aware that two supervisors routinely awakened boys for late-night encounters behind closed doors in deserted offices.

The two supervisors — one of whom had been transferred from another state school after pornography was found on his work computer — were allowed to resign in 2005 without charges. One became the principal of a charter school in Midland, Tex., state officials said. The superintendent was promoted to director of juvenile corrections, a post he still holds, the youth commission confirmed.

“It’s outrageous,” said State Senator John Whitmire, chairman of the Criminal Justice Committee, who accused the commission of a cover-up.

Whitmire asks a valid question -- does the agency need some much more intense supervision, like being placed under completely new leadership ? The answer would appear to be yes, given that the TYC director was allowed to stay in place until last Friday and one of the freaks in question is still working for the state in a policy position that gives him direct control over the lives of juveniles!

Frankly, it is looking like one more failure on th part of Rick Perry -- and one more reason for the legislature to consider whether or not Perry is fit to remain governor.

Oh, and interestingly enough, Houston's "paper of record" couldn't even be bothered to cover this story on the front page -- or link to their coverage from the paper's homepage.

Posted by: Greg at 11:26 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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