The Oklahoma House of Representatives will restart its high school page program next week, after a bipartisan task force agreed on immediate changes. The program was suspended after a report of a sexual assault between pages earlier this month. House Speaker Charles McCall formed the bipartisan task force to address the issue and make recommendations.
The task force recommends moving to male only and female only weeks through the end of the session and increasing the security for the program. The task force will continue to study and learn best practices from other states.
“We believe this is a program worth having, and that we should continue to provide these opportunities for our students,” said Task Force Chairman Terry O’Donnell. “We are taking the protection of our pages very seriously, and we are making immediate changes that will enhance safety for our participants. We will continue to look at the program from a long-term perspective as the task force meets over the next few weeks. The page program is a very valuable experience for our students who participate and it is a way for lawmakers to connect with their communities. We will continue to be diligent in examining our current procedures, but we don’t want to punish those young people who hope to learn about the Legislature and maybe develop a life-long appreciation for public service.”
