As farmers across the United States begin planting season, safety experts are raising an urgent alarm: tractor rollovers remain the single deadliest event on American farms, and most of these tragedies are preventable.
Read MoreOklahoma Senate Bill 870 advances to House, aims to improve juvenile abuse reporting
Senate Bill 870 aims to enhance accountability and reporting mechanisms for incidents of sexual abuse or exploitation of juveniles in state-run facilities, and now heads to the Oklahoma House after passing through committee. Bill author Senator Dave Rader says this legislation was written in response to a lawsuit involving Tulsa’s Family Center for Juvenile Justice (FCJJ), where multiple allegations of abuse have surfaced.
Read MoreFire Victims in Oklahoma Are Running Out of Time
After a series of destructive fires across Oklahoma, Smolen Law is urging the public to take immediate action. Most fire insurance policies in Oklahoma contain a clause that limits the time to file a lawsuit to just one year from the date of the fire loss—not from the date an insurance claim is denied or delayed.
Read MoreAs April marks Sexual Assault Awareness Month, a growing number of families in Oklahoma are coming forward with disturbing stories: children being groomed and abused by the very teachers and coaches trusted to protect them. Civil rights attorney Donald Smolen II has represented dozens of students in abuse cases statewide—and says what’s happening in our schools is nothing short of a crisis.
Read MoreShe Went to Rehab for Help—Now She’s Brain Dead
A woman entered Narconon Arrowhead, a drug rehab facility in Oklahoma connected to the Church of Scientology, looking for help. Instead, she was offered drugs in exchange for sex by a counselor. She survived, but she’s now brain dead for the rest of her life.
Read MoreHaskell Woman Accused of Leaving Foster Child Outside in Freezing Cold Pleads Not Guilty
The Haskell woman accused of leaving her foster child outside in the cold as punishment appeared in court on Monday to plead not guilty.
Read MoreSmolen Law Warns of Coordinated Attack on Victims’ Rights Ahead of Critical March 24 Hearing
Smolen Law is calling urgent attention to three coordinated bills moving through the Oklahoma Legislature that could drastically undermine the rights of injured Oklahomans. These proposals — SB 1065, HB 2682, and HB 2681 — represent a sweeping attempt to limit civil justice, protect powerful interests, and silence victims.
Read MoreOklahoma is Losing Great Teachers—Because They Can’t Afford to Stay
Oklahoma’s education system is failing—not because of our students, but because we refuse to invest in the people who teach them. The best teachers aren’t moving to Oklahoma because they can’t afford to live here on a teacher’s salary. Those who do start their careers in the state are often forced to leave for better pay and a livable wage elsewhere.
Read MoreOklahoma’s Education System: From 49th in the Nation—But Still in Crisis
In 2011, Oklahoma ranked 17th in the nation for education, a sign of a once-thriving system. But a decade later, the state plummeted to 49th, one of the lowest rankings in the country. The state's education system remains underfunded, understaffed, and undervalued—leaving our teachers and students struggling.
Read MoreOklahoma Legislature Moves to Cap Damages for the Injured
The Oklahoma Legislature, backed by the State Chamber of Commerce, is advancing tort reform measures that would shield negligent corporations while leaving victims of catastrophic medical malpractice without adequate recourse. Under these proposals, Oklahomans who suffer life-altering injuries due to negligence could be limited to just $500,000 in non-economic damages—regardless of the severity of their suffering.
Read MoreHaskell woman accused of leaving foster child outside in freezing cold charged in tribal court
Charges were filed in Muscogee Nation District Court for a Haskell woman accused of allegedly leaving her 7-year-old foster child outside in freezing temperatures. The charge of misdemeanor child neglect was filed against Kaytlin Fultz in Muscogee Nation District Court on Wednesday after the case was dismissed in Muskogee County due to a lack of jurisdiction.
Read MoreCase against Haskell woman accused of leaving foster child outside in freezing cold dismissed
The case against a Haskell woman charged with child neglect after allegedly leaving her 7-year-old foster child outside in freezing temperatures as punishment has been dismissed, according to court documents. FOX23 told you arrest warrants were issued for Kaytlin Fultz, a third-grade teacher at Preston Public Schools, and Andrew Fultz on Monday. They were both charged with child neglect.
Read MoreHaskell foster parents charged with child neglect after young girl seen outside in freezing cold
Two foster parents in Muskogee County are charged with child neglect after investigators say the couple left a 7-year-old girl in frigid temperatures last week. Police said she had no shoes or coat on and was wearing pajamas. Haskell Police went to the home, and they say the foster mother told the officer the girl was outside for two minutes as a way to “reset,” but the neighbor who called 911 said it was more like 15 minutes.
Read More‘It is heartbreaking’: OSDE, state lawmakers looking into OK child seen outside in PJs in cold
The Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) announced on Friday an investigation is underway for a teacher who serves as a foster parent to the viral video of a foster child left unattended in bitter temperatures. It’s the latest step in addressing allegations tied to the video itself with the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, Muskogee County District Attorney’s Office, Haskell Police Department, and Preston Public Schools also looking into the incident.
Read MoreVictims’ stories highlight risks of online dating as investigation unfolds
Dating apps have become a common way to meet potential partners, but they can also serve as hunting grounds for predators. In Tulsa, police are investigating after multiple women reported being sexually assaulted by a man they met through an app. Two women have come forward, sharing their experiences with NewsChannel 8, their identities being concealed for privacy and safety.
Read MoreFCJJ latest: Attorneys want juveniles alleging abuse to publicly reveal initials
On October 7, a federal judge ruled the minors can keep using the “child doe” pseudonyms in public documents. In the opinion, the judge wrote that the “need for anonymity… outweighs the public interest in favor of openness.” The plaintiffs will have to disclose legal names on the record to the court; it will remain under seal.
Read MoreDefense argues against anonymity in Tulsa juvenile justice abuse case
The attorneys representing the Tulsa County Board of Commissioners, the Juvenile Bureau of Tulsa County, Turn Key Healthy Clinics, and others named in the lawsuit alleging sexual abuse and misconduct to the minors incarcerated at the Tulsa Family Center for Juvenile Justice, filed a motion on Monday asking that the pseudonyms "Child Doe" and "Jane Doe" be changed to either some of the victims' initials or true names.
Read MoreMother Files Lawsuit Against Oklahoma DHS After She Says Daughter Was Abused In Foster Home
A Green Country mother filed a lawsuit against the Oklahoma Department of Human Services after she said the agency put her daughter in the care of a foster home where the girl was abused.
Read MoreDr. Shropshire resigns amid lawsuit accusing Oklahoma DHS of neglect
A lawsuit detailing the failures of Oklahoma's Department of Human Services, that allegedly allowed for a minor to be emotionally and physically abused, was filed in June.
Read More‘Nothing has changed’: Attorneys add more victims, defendants to FCJJ lawsuit
Nothing has changed at the Family Center for Juvenile Justice (Tulsa County Detention Center), according to attorneys who filed a lawsuit claiming systemic abuse.
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