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This Week At The Capitol, Legislators Dick Lowe and Danny Sterling UNprotect Students With HB1937

Bartlesville, Oklahoma fights drag queen performances

Wednesday, February 19th, Michael and I welcomed back our friend ‘Mary’ with V1SUT to talk about a couple of items. Check out the full LIVE video on our YouTube and Rumble channels. We always have some great discussions and the only way to catch those is watching the full video.

First, we talked about the fact that – with the onset of DOGE – we’re learning how USAID has funded billions of dollars in research and social activism to undermine the Republic and the way citizens think about America.

One of the ways this has occurred is through the financing of grants to organizations such as Oklahomans for Equality which has then used the funds to push out messaging and other support for LGBTQIA+ issues in Bartlesville. Mary has written several articles about the influence of this group on the town and how this has effected residents. So controversial has been their methodology, that Bartlesville’s last city council elections saw 3 out of 5 city councilman ousted by the citizenry over the issue of allowing public drag shows sponsored by Oklahomans For Equality.

Mary’s blog on the topic at V1SUT Substack is quite good. You should check it out.

We also discussed HB1937 a bill to essentially undo the bill written last year (HB3958) by Sherrie Conley that prevents public school employees from having conversations with students through any medium without a parent present on the thread to overwatch.

Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the House Common Education Committee, Dick Lowe and Danny Sterling (respectively) wrote HB1937 because they believed it was too cumbersome for parents and coaches to have to see every conversation with students, essentially UNprotecting students. The bill passed the Common Education Committee 8-5 with the Speaker of the House voting.

Take a very hard look at who voted YES WITH THE DEMOCRATS. Below, Mary talks more about the bill and the vote and how this bill puts children at risk because parents may feel pressured to opt out, leaving their kid unprotected. Lowe and Sterling appear to be more for the status quo than protecting kids.

In the video below Mary talks about how educators are doing a great job at covering for other educators, but not protecting children – which is really their FIRST RESPONSIBILITY. Mary also mentions that maybe one or both Sterling or Lowe had been involved in ‘passing the trash’ before, as she asked them for a comment on that very issue and neither responded. Find out more in her Substack.

This bill has yet to have a hearing in the Education Oversight Committee, but those are ad hoc committees that only require a 24 hour agenda notice (for some reason), so PLEASE, email the members of the Education Oversight Committee and ask them to VOTE NO on HB1937.

Rep. Kerbs, Chair (R) District 26

Rep. Caldwell, Chad Vice-Chair (R) District 40

Rep. Hasenbeck, Toni

Rep. Kane, John

Rep. Lowe, Dick

Rep. Provenzano, Melissa

Rep. Waldron, John

Rep. West, Tammy

Rep. Wolfley, Max

Copy and paste the block below into your email ‘to’ line.

dell.kerbs@okhouse.gov, chad.caldwell@okhouse.gov, toni.hasenbeck@okhouse.gov, john.kane@okhouse.gov, dick.lowe@okhouse.gov, melissa.provenzano@okhouse.gov, john.waldron@okhouse.gov, tammy.west@okhouse.gov, max.wolfley@okhouse.gov

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Oklahoma Must Have A Pass The Trash Law To Protect Public School Students

Thursday, November 21st, Michael and I had V1SUT Vantage author, Mary, on with us again, this time to talk about Dr. Aaron Espolt, the Superintendent of Shawnee Public Schools (SPS).

The same Shawnee Public Schools where coach Ron Arthur was sentenced to 5 years in prison for molesting a student his senior year of high school, though allegations indicated that there were multiple victims over multiple years and districts.

Mary took us through her latest V1SUT Vantage substack article about Dr. Espolt – the current superintendent of SPS and how he has a record of alleged sexual misconduct during his time at Little Axe PS and Boone-Apache PS and that he has been employed with 7 districts in Oklahoma during his career so far.

In the video below, Mary talks about “pass the trash laws” – laws that prevent school districts from hiring employees at any level – who have had a history of sexual misconduct allegations at a previous employer. Oklahoma does not have a pass the trash law.

In the video below, Mary talks about Shawnee Public Schools and the odd circumstances under which Dr. Espolt came to Shawnee and some of the circumstances surrounding his employment.

The full live video, which you can find on our YouTube and Rumble channels has much more information! Check that out when you have time! Also, like share and subscribe to our channels! The more these videos are shared, the greater the chances that something will be done about these issues! Pass them on to your legislator as well!

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Wetumka Teacher/Coach Arrested – Victims Speak Out

Wednesday, October 16th, was the hardest podcast I’ve had to do in the roughly two years we’ve been broadcasting. Our friend Mary with V1SUT Substack joined us on the third Wednesday as usual, but this time she brought her own guests.

With Mary were Justin Cotes and Casey Yochum – two men who have bravely come forward to tell the stories of their abuse at the hands of, teacher, coach and athletic director, Brent McGee.

The stories the two men have shared with Mary are simply heartbreaking, but they want to encourage other survivors of Brent’s employment at either Noble Public Schools, or Wetumka Public Schools, to come forward and they believe telling their stories can help.

In the clip below, Casey shares how he was able to record Brent McGee’s confession.

Yes, you heard that correctly. Casey recorded McGee’s confession, took it to an attorney who agreed that the confession was good, only to find out that he had just aged out of the Statute of Limitations for sexual assault while a minor.

This begs the question; why is there a Statute of Limitations on ANY crime? Doesn’t that handcuff the victims?

Sexual abuse can be buried in the subconscious – as it was in Casey’s case – for many years. Does this mean that abuse couldn’t have happened if a victim doesn’t remember it? Clearly not, but Oklahoma’s current law puts victims in that nonsensical predicament!

Obviously, next legislative session, a brave legislator needs to come forward and remove the Statute of Limitations on crimes committed against children!

Before we signed out of the podcast, Mary goes over the warning signs of sexual abuse happening WITHIN THE SCHOOL and how to spot predatory behaviors by adults toward children.

To recap; be particularly observant about behaviors of coaches around young men (and, as we know from Ashley Roland’s story – young women too!). Watch for teachers overstepping their bounds and taking on parental roles, as well as violating school policy.

Mary reminds us about Representative Sherrie Conley’s bill to protect students from one-on-one communication with a school-employed adult – communication that can be allowing, or furthering, inappropriate relationships among students and school employees.

In fact, schools were supposed to train personnel in the law at the beginning of the year in order to help close this avenue of connection between students and school employees.

Please, speak with your Oklahoma legislator NOW about stepping up to write a bill that would remove the Statute of Limitations on child predation next session. In the meantime, watch the full podcast on our YouTube and Rumble channels and share this information with all those you know whose children are enrolled in ANY school outside their own home.

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OK Rep. Sherrie Conley Talks Broken Trust – Her New Non-Profit

Wednesday, July 24th ROPE Report Regular, Representative Sherrie Conley, talked with Michael and I about her new non-profit Broken Trust.

After working with numerous former students who had horror stories about being molested or abused by public school employees, Sherrie decided that something needed to be done and she was going to do it.

The Broken Trust website is a place where people can contact Sherrie with tips and/or reports of abuse occurring within public education.

In the clip below, Sherrie talks about her desires for the organization and shares its first event.

If you would like to attend – or share this event with others who might be interested – click here.

It’s honestly sad to realize that this kind of event is needed today, but it is. So few parents understand what could be happening after they drop their child off at school – and fewer seem to understand what to do if their child comes forward to report abuse.

Sherrie reminds EVERYONE that, according to state law, EVERYONE is a mandatory reporter of abuse any time they find it.

For parents, the very best thing to do, should you suspect abuse, is IMMEDIATELY CONTACT LAW ENFORCEMENT – and that doesn’t mean your school’s School Resource Officer. SROs are employees of the school first and foremost. Their contracts are with schools, not with the police department to which they are attached and certainly not with parents. If school administration is told, the school will investigate – not law enforcement. Consequently, the first call if any parent suspects abuse from a public school employee is to your nearest LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICE.

In the clip below, Sherrie talks about the abuse taxpayers receive after a school is found guilty of abusing a student or students. In this case, 2 Kingfisher Public School’s coaches were accused of knowingly allowing students to abuse one another in the high school locker room. One family sued and won a judgement of 5 million dollars, of which the Kingfisher school district taxpayer will be required to pay.

As Sherrie explains, the school asks the county assessor to raise their millage rate to cover costs over their budget and this results in higher property taxes for the home owner while the school’s administration and board, get off scot free.

Please take a moment and share this article – and the videos – with others. The only way we FIX this problem is to educate others who can help us demand change!

You can find the FULL video on our Rumble and YouTube channels!

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We Need To Protect Children From Public School Predators – V1SUT Vantage On ROPE Report Live

For her regular Wednesday appearance on ROPE Report Live, our V1SUT Vantage blogger, ‘Mary’, Michael and I talked about yet another incident where a public school teacher had molested a child. This time while he and his husband were on vacation on a cruise ship.

How in the world does this happen?

One good piece of news ‘Mary’ gave us, was that State Superintendent Walters had spearheaded an investigation into Ashley Rolan’s sexual assault case, causing at least one of the perpetrators to come forward and VOLUNTARILY relinquish their license. One down. Many more to go.

In the short video below, ‘Mary’ talked about Statute of Limitation laws in Oklahoma and how they must change if we’re to protect children and make abusers pay for their crimes.

Since 2017, the Statute of Limitations on reporting sexual abuse is age 45. That seems awesome until you find out that this date is NON RETROACTIVE – meaning that no DA will file charges against someone who has abused this person IN THE PAST. How can that be? So the abused can REPORT the crime, but the abuser can’t be held accountable if the abuse didn’t happen in the same year?

Watch the short video below to see why.

The only way to solve this problem is by changing the statutes to allow for prosecution of sexual crimes against children even though the victim could be reporting the crime as an adult. Oklahomans should absolutely do all we can to protect our youngest citizens and we’ll be helping where we can on this issue for 2025 in the legislature.

In the next short video, ‘Mary’ talk about how it is that members of the LGBT community seem to have some kind of immunity when it comes to prosecution for crimes involving minors. Check out the short video below to hear ‘Mary’ talk about a situation she’s reported on from Bartlesville involving not one, but TWO children put into foster care with a same sex couple. One child ended up with a broken arm that was never investigated and a subsequent child died. This is simply not okay, yet it continues to happen over and over again.

We must pass on this information to everyone we know. Public outcry could make legislators act, but we need to spread he word so that awareness of these situations grow.

Continued to stay tuned every third Wednesday to hear what ‘Mary’ has for us next and check out her substack as well!

Take an hour or so to watch the full video on our Rumble or YouTube channels. You won’t be sorry. ‘Mary’ is always so informative!

ANNOUNCEMENT: Moms 4 Liberty, Yukon area, is hosting an event in conjunction with Sherrie Conley’s new non-profit Broken Trust called, “A Guide to Protecting Students from Predatory Behavior”, Tuesday, August 6th at 5:30, location to be announced. This event is free, but please sign up so they know to expect you.

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Ashley Rolen; Fighting To Have Her Abusers Removed From Oklahoma Public Schools

Ashley Rolen submitted statements to the Little Axe school district in 2002, describing the sexual abuse that had been perpetrated on her by several coaches employed by the district.

Nothing was done either done to help Ashley, or remove the coaches. Ashley moved on with her life.

But as Ashley tells us in the full podcast (YouTube Rumble), the day she heard about Olympic physician, Larry Nassar, and the stories of the brave gymnasts who told of their sexual abuse while under his care, she knew she had to make it right – for herself and for the other girls to whom this had happened and ones to whom it might be happening now.

As an adult, Ashley filed a complaint with the Oklahoma State Department of Education under Joy Hoffmeister. She was told that they had no investigators for her case and that she’d have to do her own investigation – which she did – and returned it to the OSDE under Ryan Walters.

Still – a full year later – and nothing has been done about the coaches who abused her, nearly all of whom are still employed by the State of Oklahoma in a public school.

In the video below, Ashley talks about what needs to happen for these reports to be taken seriously by school administration and the OSDE – which she doesn’t believe is really happening now.

In the video below, V1SUT Vantage blogger, Mary, Ashley, Michael Grande and I discuss how schools are getting around mandatory sex abuse reporting laws, allowing public school employees who have abused students to just disappear from the school and wind up at another without ever being made to pay for their crimes. The level of protectionism among school staff makes it nearly impossible for reporting to occur outside the school and even then, if a school resource officer shows up to talk to the complaining parties (the student and his/her parents or guardians) with school administration, it appears that school administration feels as though that kind of scenario IS the reporting.

If Ashley’s story teaches us anything, it’s that if we’re to save Oklahoma children from sexual predators operating inside Oklahoma public schools, we have to force schools to properly INVESTIGATE and REPORT and for the OSDE to put actually put parents and students first, by having any claims investigated by the OSDE promptly and teaching certificates removed so that the perpetrators can no longer harm CHILDREN.

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Oklahoma Representative Sherrie Conley Talks to ROPE About Student Communications Bill and What Comes Next

Friday, May 10th, Jenni and Michael spoke with Representative Sherrie Conley about the passage of her bill HB3958 and what she’d like to see happen with the bill after she’s out of the legislature at the end of the session.

You can find the FULL video on our YouTube and Rumble Channels.

There are two clips from the full live video that we’d love for you to see.

First, Representative Conley talks about the number of lawsuits being filed in the state regarding school employees who have sexually or physically abused their students. Many of these lawsuits are settled for MILLIONS of dollars, but public schools don’t ‘make’ money. Public schools are appropriated tax dollars to function.

Consequently, if a school employee is ‘allowed’ (see the story of Shawnee Coach, Ron Arthur) to continue working at a public school with allegations of sexual impropriety that were never investigated and the school is sued for damages by the child/children involved, that school has to pay out a settlement to the students and parents which consists SOLELY of tax dollars. If the settlement or lawsuit damages exceed the amount of money the school has on hand, it must go to the taxpayers and force them to pay more taxes to pay for the lawsuit/settlement.

Taxpayers, then, have a vested interest in making school officials do the morally right and ethically thing by their students.

In the next short, Representative Conley makes it clear that, because Oklahoma has mandatory reporting laws for child endangerment, the Superintendents and Principals who know/knew that children are/were being sexually abused by school employees, should be brought up on criminal charges once investigations have been completed and school employees formally charged with child predation.

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