What else can you say about this editorial.

It's hard to decide what's worse about the scandal enveloping the Texas Youth Commission: the chilling accounts of how corrupt state administrators turned an isolated West Texas reform school into their private sex club with adolescent inmates at their beck and call; or the unconscionable cover-up of reports of the abuse and the failure of law enforcement officials to prosecute the perpetrators.

The TYC maintains a system of state schools with the stated aim of educating and reforming hard-core juvenile offenders. The school where the abuses occurred — the West Texas State School at Pyote — houses 250 males between the ages of 10 and 21 in large dormitory facilities.

Despite a damning internal TYC report and an investigation in 2005 by the Texas Rangers, which concluded that two supervisors at the school forced young inmates to have sex with them numerous times, the pair were allowed to resign without criminal prosecution. One went on to head a charter school in San Antonio.

All true, as is the list of failures that follow -- but conspicuously excluded is the failure of the news media (including the Chronicle) to report on this story and keep it in the public eye. Where did I find out about it the day after bombshell testimony on the scandal? In the New York Times, not the Houston Chronicle or any other local media source. I therefore think we can safely add one more failure to the shameful list.

However, owning the printing press apparently means never having to say you're sorry.

Posted by: Greg at 11:10 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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