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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 19, 1982)
state/national Juveniles tell of threats, abuse, attempts to silence United Press International PRYOR, Okla. — Students at a juvenile facility being investi gated for child abuse charges said they were warned not to tell anything during a senator’s visit, and two boys claim they were whipped for wanting to talk with reporters. Sen. Don Nickles, R-Okla., armed with complaints from state juvenile institution stu dents detailing prostitution rings, rampant sexual abuse and drug use and dealing by em ployees, toured Whitaker State Children’s Home Wednesday. After Nickles left the home, four boys found the opportunity to talk about their life at the in stitution and said school em ployees had warned them not to talk with the senator or repor ters with him. “They (school officials) told (a student in a class Nickles vi sited) not to say anything,” the 16-year-old said. “He (the stu dent) told them (Nickles and an aide) this morning Whitaker was a real good place. That ain’t true.” While Nickles was on campus, acting Superintendent Steve Scott said no school officials had told students of the pending visit. He said school officials and students learned of the tour through the media. But some teenage boys who talked about the school Wednes day said they had been told be- Tony and Tim, 14, claimed they were spanked Tuesday, and Tim again Wednesday, because they told a teacher they planned to talk with reporters. that really can have direct con tact with students without per mission are those actively in volved in their care and custody: social workers, people who are employed by the institution, their attorney, the court and their parents.” Tony and Tim, 14, claimed they were spanked Tuesday, and Tim again Wednesday, be cause they told a teacher they planned to talk with reporters. A teacher , confronted Tony when he refused to do extra gym class exercises, he said. After the refusal, teachers asked Tim and Tony ‘“are we going to do it the easy way or the hard way?’” Tony said. “The easy way was to (do the exercises), and the hard way was to go in the office and get swats,” he said. forehand of the visit and threatened when they told teachers they wanted to make public statements. Scott refused to allow repor ters to meet with students Wednesday. “No, I don’t have authoriza tion,” he said. “The only persons “So after that I said Til take it the easy way but I can’t wait until the reporters come tomorrow.’ And so the teacher took me in the back and said ‘Well, you’re going to take it the hard way then.’ “He started poking me in my chest, and pulling my hair and stuff.” B. L. Shane's Lakeview Club Saturday Feb. 20 GEORGE SELF and "The Armadillo Express' Cover $3.00 Person Watch For FIDDLIN' FRENCHIE BURKE! Coming Next Week! 3 Miles ISorth of Bryan on Tabor Rd. For Reservations 823-0660 Tim said he also was treated roughly for the same reason. The boys told of a student who was dragged across campus and his arm broken, the youths claimed, because he refused to answer security officers. Scott said two security officers accused of breaking a boy’s arm some 10 months ago were fired last month for charges of ignor ing institutional disciplinary rules during a confrontation with two 15-year-old girls. He would not specify what hap pened. “The kids we have here are emotionally disturbed or bor derline retarded, but cannot be maintained in a mental retarda tion institution (or) facility be cause of their nature to act out or be aggressive,” Scott said. “Many of the kids we have here have been physically or sex ually abused in their own homes. Some have intellectual limita tions that their parents or com munities cannot address.” The official said he was not surprised some youths housed in juvenile facilities had made allegations of abuses and illegal activities within the institutions. The students, ignored at home and sent away to an insti tution, respond to someone who asks if they are treated unfairly, Scott said. “The kid is going to latch on to that as somebody coming in and saying Tm going to help you; I’m going to get you out of here,”’ he said. Scott said the students “may exaggerate.” >00000000ooooooooooooooooooooog msc RLL-niTE FAIR Relive the Hollywood Era... GAMES! PRIZES! Friday, Feb. 26 in the MSC 9 p.m. ’till 3 a.m. $.50 admission > oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo^ Unit* FARW searched estrangec the shotj family m< house. Robe irime su iis wife mother a three of state poli The se Tuesday house of father-in Helen Ga in-law, w; pickup ti lively ov< Mandy, t spray of The si other ch around 1 year old, and relei Other his wife 1 of Gaffn 10, Tom Office One more, please staff photo by Diana Sulli Adam Mikeal, 4, searches for the perfect balloon to add to his collection. Mikeal was at the opening of Post Oak Mall* his mother, Belinda, on Wednesday tinuous one-time also is wa ing $17,( Hagga have app Circuit C Secretary of state defei action on complaint vorce pr Mrs. H; However pear. It is n was tak< United Press International AUSTIN — Secretary of State David Dean says he is required by law to defer action on Com ptroller Bob Bullock’s complaint that a Republican opponent may have violated the state election code. copy of a letter in which he told Bullock that state law prohibits him from forwarding such com plaints to the prosecuting attor ney or attorney general as long as Richards is involved in a cam- Secs and the le Student V S^C 5 Xl /AV'T THOUGHT SCORING A A TOUCHDOWN WAS EXCm H6 ! HIRAM WALKER TRIPLE SEC For a free recipe booklet, write Hiram Walker Cordials, PO. Box 2235, Farmington Hills, Mich. 48018 c 1982 B-iple Sec liqueur, 60 proof, Hiram Walker Sons, Inc., San Francisco, Calif, Bullock complained Wednes day that Mike Richards failed to respond to charges that he may have violated election laws by soliciting and accepting cam paign contributions before nam ing a campaign treasurer. In a letter to Dean, Bullock said the 15-day response period given to Richards had passed and inquired what action would be taken by the secretary of state. Dean, however, distributed a paign. “Therefore, you are advised that pursuant to the above statu tory provisions, I will take no ac tion with regards to your com plaint until Mike Richards is no longer engaged in the campaign for comptroller of public accounts,” Dean said. Tony Proffitt, an aide in the Bullock campaign, indicated Bullock may not be willing to wait until the end of the cam paign for action against Richards. “We have some other op tions,” Proffitt said. “The real question is, did MikeRii | send in a response, andifi we going to get to loohi In other political agriculture commissionen date Jim Hightower ro his challenge for a debit! incumbent Comm® Reagan Brown. In a letter to Bro»: Wednesday, Hightower six possible dates for as between the two Dei® candidates, and said he 1 rearrange his schedules any debate date agree: Brown. An aide to Brown hadtS sed a challenge Hightontf at a news conference Tut saying it was not a “gentle way” to issue such a dial Outerwear $ Shoe Sale Xi: stil PEKI energet peared a revol erning < to spea grip on The for thre Prince Camboi China’s good ft Th< agency ring tc one-mc the cou tion in cedenu Feb. 15-ZO Wolverine. 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