Antone's Nightclub
Whittaker's Reporting Unethically Biased
RECEIVED Sat., Jan. 5, 2008
Dear Editor,
Richard Whittaker’s article “Does Harry Potter Cause Sexual Violence? Only in Texas.” [News, Dec. 28] failed to note key points in my testimony, including several years of law enforcement when I worked in Travis Co. as a deputy sheriff and a police officer for several cities. In the districts that I worked in Travis Co., there were several topless bars. I responded to numerous assault calls at these “gentlemen's clubs” and spoke to dozens of topless dancers who relayed histories of sexual abuse, usually beginning with incest during their childhood. This “thread” of sexual abuse and women who work in these sex-trade establishments is statistically “significant.” Your reporter inaccurately portrayed my testimony by stating only my law-enforcement experience in Bastrop County, where I served as chief of police for the city of Smithville, where there were no topless bars. What is even more interesting is that Mr. Whittaker did not even get the correct name of the judge who heard this case. There is no Judge Scott Trevin in Travis County. The judge who heard this case was Judge Scott Jenkins. I am an avid reader of the Chronicle and enjoy many fine articles including some excellent investigative reports that far surpass any written by the Statesman. However, I believe if you are going to report news, your reporters have an ethical duty to report the facts correctly in an unbiased form. I will agree with the article in one aspect, though: The tax should also be imposed on all sexually oriented businesses that use and abuse women in the sex industry. Adult lingerie shops and adult bookstores should be taxed, too.
Richard Whittaker’s article “Does Harry Potter Cause Sexual Violence? Only in Texas.” [News, Dec. 28] failed to note key points in my testimony, including several years of law enforcement when I worked in Travis Co. as a deputy sheriff and a police officer for several cities. In the districts that I worked in Travis Co., there were several topless bars. I responded to numerous assault calls at these “gentlemen's clubs” and spoke to dozens of topless dancers who relayed histories of sexual abuse, usually beginning with incest during their childhood. This “thread” of sexual abuse and women who work in these sex-trade establishments is statistically “significant.” Your reporter inaccurately portrayed my testimony by stating only my law-enforcement experience in Bastrop County, where I served as chief of police for the city of Smithville, where there were no topless bars. What is even more interesting is that Mr. Whittaker did not even get the correct name of the judge who heard this case. There is no Judge Scott Trevin in Travis County. The judge who heard this case was Judge Scott Jenkins. I am an avid reader of the Chronicle and enjoy many fine articles including some excellent investigative reports that far surpass any written by the Statesman. However, I believe if you are going to report news, your reporters have an ethical duty to report the facts correctly in an unbiased form. I will agree with the article in one aspect, though: The tax should also be imposed on all sexually oriented businesses that use and abuse women in the sex industry. Adult lingerie shops and adult bookstores should be taxed, too.
Hon. Kevin R. Madison, Esq.
[Richard Whittaker responds: While Kevin Madison argues that the thread of sexual abuse is
statistically significant, there was no statistical evidence offered to the court either by himself or the lawyers for the state comptroller on the connection between sexually oriented businesses and sexual assault. His evidence was anecdotal and, as was pointed out in court, based on his experiences in law enforcement more than two decades ago. As for the error
on Judge Scott H. Jenkins' name, that is wholly my fault, and I apologize to the judge.]