Oklahoma
Local pastors call out Falls Creek and its lack of responsibility to camper safety
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – It began with a Twitter thread from Mayflower Congregational Minister Lori Walke following an investigation into Southern Baptist Conference (SBC) revealed not less than twenty years of intercourse abuse allegations from its members by clergy and different employees that went unheard and unaddressed.
Walke mentioned Tuesday, Could 24, that native church buildings are those left to carry out background checks on the employees they create with them to the largest camp within the state.
“When abuse occurs, Falls Creek factors its finger again on the native church, regardless of many years of expertise concerning background verify compliance by native church buildings,” mentioned Walke on Twitter.
She inspired dad and mom to give up sending their kids to the summer season camp, or every other camps run by the Southern Baptist Conference.
Falls Creek is run by the Baptist Basic Conference of Oklahoma, now generally known as Oklahoma Baptists. The Baptists didn’t return KFOR’s request for an in-person interview, however in a press release they mentioned:
“In recent times, Falls Creek has made much more vital strides in enhancing the security protocols that have been already in place for campers.”
Nonetheless, the assertion didn’t point out how they have been making enhanced security protocols.
“If you recognize that there’s a problem, then, you recognize, make some adjustments to the oversight, chaperoning or no matter,” mentioned Todd Littleton, Pastor at Snow Hill Baptist Church.
The Falls Creek 2021 Cabin House owners Handbook states: “Personal Caretakers should ensure that Cabin House owners have secured background checks on all third-party contractors.”
Additionally stating that contracts between cabin house owners and leasees, “on no account implies Falls Creek or the Oklahoma Baptists conference as a celebration of the cabin lease settlement.”
Walke was referring to that contract language as a means for the Oklahoma Baptists to deflect duty.
For Littleton, he noticed a management breakdown 20 years in the past. That was when he stopped taking his church to the camp.
“From our standpoint, on the management aspect, there have been some issues,” mentioned Littleton.
Walke’s tweets come the day after the Guidepost Report calling out the SBC for hiding sexual abuse instances and negligence in taking motion.
Six years in the past at Falls Creek, a 13-year-old was raped by 35-year-old Benjamin Petty.
Petty was a cook dinner for one of many church teams on the camp. He spent days with the 13 yr outdated earlier than the rape.
Court docket paperwork state that at no level did camp leaders elevate questions throughout Petty’s “three-and-a-half day grooming course of.”
Littleton mentioned he agreed with Walke’s statements concerning Falls Creek. He additionally mentioned all the denomination must do higher.
“We’re most likely going to must work tougher if we would like the belief. We’re going to must be extra proactive to say ‘here’s what we’re doing’ relatively than ‘simply belief us’,” mentioned Littleton.
The Gophers football program addressed a need in the middle of its defense for the 2025 season with Oklahoma State linebacker Jeff Roberson on Thursday night.
The 6-foot-2, 225-pound graduate transfer from Choctaw, Okla., totaled 58 tackles, including 8.5 for lost yards, three sacks and one interception in 12 games in 2024. He had a middling 57.7 grade from Pro Football Focus, along with 19 pressures, but also 11 missed tackles last season.
Roberson played 670 snaps last season, but only 107 across 2021 and 2023. He played special teams as a freshman in 2020 and missed the 2022 season with injury.
Roberson will help fill the void left by leading tackler Cody Lindenberg; the Anoka native declared for the NFL draft after the regular season and skipped the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. Maverick Baranowski and Devon Williams top the U’s depth chart at linebacker going into next season.
The Gophers have added 15 total players via the NCAA transfer portal since early December and are still looking for help at cornerback and possibly defensive line.
Originally Published:
TRANSFER PORTAL TRACKER
The Cowboys went to the SEC to pick another linebacker out of the portal.
Ole Miss transfer Trip White, who was listed at 6-foot-3, 220 pounds last season, pledged to Oklahoma State, according to CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz. White played in all 13 of the Rebels’ games this past season, his redshirt sophomore year. He made one tackle, primarily playing special teams.
White played in three games while maintaining a redshirt as a true freshman in 2022. He appeared in five games in 2023, and to this point has totaled nine career tackles.
Out of Parkview Magnet in Little Rock, Arkansas, White was a three-star prospect in the 2022 recruiting class and chose Ole Miss over offers from Arkansas, Kansas State, Baylor, Louisville, Oklahoma State, Indiana and others. The 247Sports Composite system tabbed White as the No. 1,103 player in the class, the No. 109 linebacker in the class and the No. 12 player from Arkansas in 2022. He also started as his team’s quarterback as a high school senior, throwing for 2,035 yards and 19 touchdowns to go with 445 rushing yards and seven more scores.
White becomes the third linebacker the Pokes have grabbed out of the portal, joining Bryan McCoy (Akron) and Brandon Rawls (Saginaw Valley State). White’s addition comes a few days after Jeff Roberson hopped in the portal. With Roberson, Nick Martin, Collin Oliver and Kendal Daniels all gone from last season’s squad, OSU’s linebacker room — like most position rooms — will look quite a bit different heading into 2025. Kap Dede is set to coach that group, with new OSU defensive coordinator Todd Grantham bringing him in from Western Kentucky.
The Oklahoma Sooners will open the 2025 softball season on Feb. 6 against the CSUN Matadors in San Diego. After a historic season, Oklahoma faces a lot of turnover after losing a number of fixtures in the lineup to graduation.
The Sooners certainly aren’t lacking for talent, however, as a trio of players were named to Softball America’s preseason All-American teams on Tuesday.
Sophomore outfielder Kasidi Pickering and Utility/DP Ella Parker were named to Softball America’s first team. Newcomer Abby Dayton was named to the second team.
Parker led the Oklahoma Sooners with a .415 batting average from the utility role. She also had 13 home runs and 62 RBIs as a true freshman. Parker hit .500 over Oklahoma’s final four games to clinch their fourth-straight national title.
Pickering hit .389 with 12 home runs and 51 RBIs as a true freshman for the Sooners. In the Women’s College World Series final against Texas, she had home runs in both games against the Texas Longhorns to win the championship.
Abby Dayton is one of a number of impact transfers for the Oklahoma Sooners this season. She led the Pac-12 in batting average, hitting .431 and also had an on-base percentage of .510 for the Utah Utes.
The Oklahoma Sooners will have a new look, but led by this trio of stars, the defending national champions will be ready to compete in the SEC.
More: 5 Oklahoma Sooners included in Softball America’s top 100
Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.
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