Month: July 2012

As reported by KETK on Friday, Union Grove school officials will interview Coach Steve Mulkey’s accusers in August. In the same report, Mulkey’s attorney, Scrappy Holmes, denied all the allegations against Mulkey.

Every once in a while, I get to work on a case that makes me laugh. The picture above is brought to you courtesy of Richard M. Scaman v. Larry Pamplin, et al., Cause No. 12-04-38,182-CV (82nd District Court of Falls County).  I modified it slightly to protect all the young, impressionable minds out there on the Internet.  I represent Larry Pamplin, the former sheriff of Falls County, and his brother, Trent. Here’s a little excerpt from our response to the lawsuit:

Richard M. Scaman is a candidate for Falls County Sheriff, and he has a serious problem. He was terminated from his job with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission on March 15, 2012, and shortly thereafter a rather indiscrete photograph of Mr. Scaman surfaced among Waco news organizations.  In that photograph, Mr. Scaman is standing in uniform at a topless bar with his right hand immediately beneath and in contact with the exposed breast of a woman who is wearing only a string bikini bottom. Even better, Mr. Scaman is grinning like a possum.

One might conclude from the photograph that Mr. Scaman has poor judgment. Given the fact that he attached it as an exhibit to his own lawsuit, that conclusion seems inescapable.  Mr. Scaman seems to think that the solution to his political problem is a lawsuit, wherein he slings mud at others and alleges a vast conspiracy to make him look bad. Apparently he has not considered the possibility that this lawsuit will make him look a lot worse. And it will.

You can read the whole thing by clicking here. We filed the response on May 5, 2012, and Trent publicized it on his website, www.fallscountysheriff.com. Nonetheless, the Republican voters of Falls County, in their infinite wisdom, nominated Scaman for sheriff on May 29, 2012. Not only that, he won in a landslide, and he will face the Democrat incumbent in November.

Do you know what that means? Well, I’m glad you asked. It means I now have to endorse two Democrats in November, and I think I’d rather set my eyebrows on fire. But there’s a bright side, at least for those of us from Upshur County. We now have conclusive proof that the Upshur County Republican Party is not the most screwed up political organization in Texas.

UPDATE: Per the request of a couple of female friends, I’ve modified the picture a little more.

According to a report on KLTV, Steve Mulkey hired Longview attorney Clifton L. “Scrappy” Holmes.  Holmes is a wise choice, widely recognized as one of the best defense lawyers in East Texas.

Some of Coach Mulkey’s defenders have complained that I am airing only one side of the story. So I invite Coach Mulkey to tell his side of the story, and I’ll publish it here. I only ask that he submit his statement in the form of a notarized affidavit, sworn under penalty of perjury, and that he address the following issues:

(1) Whether he had any romantic relationships (sexual or otherwise) with junior high or high school students and, if so, the approximate dates and the individuals involved.

(2) Whether he touched any female students in the breast or genital area and, if so, the approximate dates and the individuals involved.

(3) Whether he ever threatened any male students about disclosing his (i.e., Coach Mulkey’s) relationship(s) with female students and, if so, the approximate dates and the individuals involved.

(4) Whether he sent flowers and/or written notes to female students and, if so, the approximate dates and the individuals involved.

Beyond that, he can write whatever he wants to write.

 

A caller from Hallsville, Texas raised a legitimate concern this afternoon about the title and the tagline for LawFlog, so I’d like to clarify a few things. I came up with the idea for this blog long before I heard the allegations against Steve Mulkey. Over the years, I’ve accrued a lot of evidence that certain lawyers and judges can break the law and get away with it just because they are powerful and well connected. If you want to get an idea of the kind of stuff I’m talking about, Google the name of former federal judge Samuel Kent. Over the coming months, I plan to air some similar stories.

It was purely a coincidence that Coach Mulkey became the first subject of my blog. If we prove our case against him, then I think we will have proved that he needed a good flogging. But we are not there yet. That said, the decision to air the allegations against Mulkey was not made lightly. I’ve known the ladies making the allegations since I moved to Union Grove in the third grade, and I believe them. I also believe the other women who have contacted me since this became public.

UPDATE:  Union Grove ISD placed Coach Steve Mulkey on administrative leave, and he will not be teaching during the Fall semester. The school board will meet tonight to determine its next steps. I am informed that the Texas Education Agency will likely appoint an independent hearing examiner to investigate the claims against Mulkey.

The three publicly-identified victims already intend to testify, as does one more. Others are deciding when/whether to step forward.  Finally, I understand that Coach Mulkey has a lot of supporters. So did Jerry Sandusky. I am not asking people on either side to make a decision at this point — quite the contrary, in fact — but please keep an open mind until you have heard all the evidence.

If you want to attack me, go for it. But if you start attacking the victims, you’ll get blocked.

CORRECTION: Coach Mulkey was placed on administrative leave “pending further notice.” That decision can be made by the superintendent without school board approval. It is not clear when / whether he will return to the school. And TEA will not appoint a hearing examiner unless/until the board takes action.

Steve Mulkey was one of my teachers in the seventh grade. If your daughter was ever taught or coached by Mulkey, you need to read the petition for a court of inquiry that was filed today. Here’s an excerpt:

Steven Dale Mulkey began teaching and coaching in the Union Grove Independent School District in 1982.  In his spare time (and even on work time), he was a sexual predator who targeted adolescent girls.  Mulkey began sexually harassing and sexually molesting the Petitioners, who were students at Union Grove, when they were between the ages of 12 and 14.  Mulkey grabbed the breasts and/or genital areas of the Petitioners and, in at least one case, engaged in sexual intercourse with a Petitioner. At all times relevant, the Petitioners were younger than 17 years of age.

Why is this coming up now? Because Mulkey recently was rehired by Union Grove. As the petition explains, we are looking for other girls and women who may have been assaulted, particularly in more recent years. If that describes you or someone you know, please contact me at 979-985-5289 (tyclevenger at yahoo.com), or Upshur County District Attorney Billy Byrd at 903-843-5513.

The Union Grove school board is scheduled to meet in special session on Tuesday, July 24, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. I don’t know any details other than what is available on the school district website, but if you want to follow this discussion in greater detail, please visit the special page at https://www.facebook.com/CoachSteveMulkey.

By the way, I’m aware of similar allegations against other teachers / coaches from the same time period. Some of them are still teaching and coaching. If you’re one of these men, you’d better pray that your victims don’t decide to go public. I have already heard from some of them.