This case is an old one but a good one. Recently a conversation came up as to what the Oklahoma Bar Association (OBA’s) official position is when it finds out its District Attorneys knowingly enable child sexual abuse? The answer, they all work diligently hard to do nothing. It is alleged by failing to punish those that enable child sexual abuse the OBA has become liable for their inaction.
In the case of George Lewis (Lewis) it became public, through his daughter’s public outrage, that ole Mr. Lewis used to rape his daughter throughout her early childhood years and into the 1990s.
In 2016 Oklahoma General Counsel Gina Hendryx accepted the resignation of Mr. Lewis due to “criminal acts that reflect adversely on my [Mr. Lewis’s] honesty, trustworthiness or fitness as [a] lawyer.” Application Approving Resignation at 5. KTUL notes, Michael Lewis received what’s called a Deferred Prosecution Agreement, requiring an “acknowledgment of his misconduct,” and “psychotherapy.” In exchange, he would never face criminal charges.
The Bar Association never sought to punish any of the prosecutors involved. All including Hendryx are guilty of knowingly enabling child sexual abuse. The victim now relates that “I was probably like every other little girl. I adored my Dad,” she said to KTUL. Anyone else would be in jail for decades but whenever it is one of Hendryx’s friends that rapes children there is no problem. Every member of this society should be outraged and it is long time for change in leadership at the General Counsel’s Office.
Hendryx once made news when she announced she was pursuing charges on former Oklahoma Attorney General (AG) Scott Pruitt. “Gina Hendryx, general counsel for the Oklahoma Bar Association, notified the Center for Biological Diversity and University of Oklahoma law professor Kristen Van de Biezenbos that her organization had opened the investigation into Pruitt” according to OKC Fox. Of course that investigation was probably to best assist out of trouble instead of into it as no formal record of Hendryx punishing former AG Scott Pruitt for his half dozen or more allegations into Pruitts abuses of office.
Hendryx should be called on to publicly resign. She has enabled child abusers. She has failed to hold the State responsible time and time again with unequal, disproportionate treatment. Hendryx has been general counsel for decades and her inability to seek truth and justice has held this State back.
