By Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy CEO Joe Dorman
Forty years ago, journalists from three news organizations owned by Gannett News Service, KOCO-TV in Oklahoma City, The Muskogee Phoenix, and ABC News “20/20” News Magazine, collaborated on what became a year-long investigation into the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, eventually earning a Peabody Award for the coverage.
What began with an examination of unreported abuse and deaths in state institutions for children grew into an investigation of the state agency and its long-time director, Lloyd Rader. The investigation showed the state agency and its $1.3 billion annual budget had become a massive patronage system hiring personnel with records of crimes against children.
However, the problems reported in what became known as “Oklahoma Shame” were not unique to Oklahoma – nor solely of that time period.
Bill Lichtenstein, one of the ABC News investigators from the original reporting in the 1980’s, has been working for two years on a documentary called “Broken,” which has uncovered a similarly failed state kids protection system in Massachusetts. Despite the know-how and resources, for decades the state has been ranked among the worst states in the country for child protection. OICA will screen the documentary on Friday, May 10, at 1 p.m. at Tulsa’s Circle Cinema theater.
The film follows the reporting of journalist Brooke Lewitas uncovering the story as she speaks with families, former foster kids, experts, and public officials.
Lichtenstein and Lewitas will show clips from the original Oklahoma “Throwaway Kids” story on “20/20.” Author Terry Smith and Oklahoma historian Bob Burke will discuss their recent book Throwaway Kids, named after the original segment, which chronicles the “Terry D.” lawsuit and its aftermath.
Following this, a panel discussion on child protection, foster care, and family court systems as well as the role that the public, including advocates and the press, play in ensuring the proper care and protection for all children. The panel will also discuss the movement to End the Need for Group Placement, or ENGP, in Oklahoma. The panel will include experts who work in this field and Oklahomans with lived experiences.
The event will also highlight awards presented by the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) which recognizes the work of advocates. The Burnes/Lichtenstein Award, named after the above and Karen Burnes, the two investigative reporters from “20/20” who led the effort, celebrates child advocacy awareness brought forth by a member or members of the press. This year, the honorees will be Terri Watkins and Bill Gallagher, the two KOCO reporters who led the local investigations, and Carlton Sherwood and John Hanchette, who led the effort through print media published through The Muskogee Phoenix.
Additionally, OICA will present the Jari Askins Justice for Children Award to Judge Mike Flanagan, an associate district judge for Cotton County, who since 2019, has chaired the Task Force on the Uniform Representation of Children and Parents in Cases involving Abuse and Neglect. The task force has been charged with determining improvement models of legal representation in order to protect the rights of children and parents and improve outcomes. The award is named after the former judge, lawmaker, and lieutenant governor from Duncan, Oklahoma, who currently runs the Administrative Office of the Courts for the Judicial Branch.
Please join us for this meaningful child advocacy event on Friday, May 10 at 1 p.m. at Tulsa’s Circle Cinema! You can purchase your $10 ticket at this link – https://event.gives/okchildadvocacy – and that also gets you a soda and popcorn. You can also find sponsorship details in the link. Together, we will learn more about how to take action to support Oklahoma’s youth.
