Do the math

Sex crime charges against former Boys & Girls Club exec show advantage of femaleleadership

The news of Michael Spencer's arrest on child sex charges has shocked most people. But one aspect of the case is far from surprising: Spencer's gender.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics, women commit about 2 percent of sexual crimes. Even taking into account other studies that believe sex crimes committed by women often go unreported, the percentage is still extremely low (around 5 percent).

Perhaps the most disturbing part of the case against Spencer is how similar it appears to recent sex crime headlines such as Jerry Sandusky, the Boy Scouts of America and the Roman Catholic Church.

Spencer spent 17 years with the Boys & Girls Club of America before recently joining the Alzheimer's Association of Greater Dallas as CEO. Earlier this month, a 16-year-old boy came forward in New Mexico with charges that Spencer sexually abused him from ages 8 to 10. Spencer posted bond in Collin County on Wednesday and awaits a hearing in Albuquerque.

Perhaps the most disturbing part of the case against Spencer is how similar it appears to recent sex crime headlines.

Jerry Sandusky was also an affable man whose chosen career path gave him access to disadvantaged children. In October, the Boy Scouts of America was forced to release files on scores of suspected sex offenders in their midst — men who used their position in the scouts to prey on boys under the guise of mentorship.

It is important to note that no ties have yet been identified to Spencer's alleged victim and the Boys & Girls Club of America; however, the organization has launched an internal investigation in light of the claims. Based on the number of women the Dallas chapter of the Boys & Girls Club of America employs, the group has a better chance of coming out of this unscathed than the Boy Scouts or say, the Roman Catholic Church.

For organizations that work with children, hiring more women at all levels of leadership is not a fool-proof recipe to eliminate sex crimes. But statistically it stands to reason that such a practice would at the very least lower the number of children exposed to sexual predators.

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Weed News

Texas Rep. Jessica González of Dallas files bill to legalize marijuana

Redheaded Blackbelt

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Texas Rep. Jessica González of Dallas has filed a bill to legalize recreational marijuana in Texas. House Bill 1208 would legalize the cultivation, manufacturing, transportation, and sale of cannabis.

The bill would allow adults 21 and older to use, possess, and transport up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana for personal use. Adults could also keep up to 10 ounces of cannabis in their residence, as long as it is stored in a secure location.

Smoking or consuming cannabis while in a public place or in a car on a public road would not be allowed.

Gonzalez filed the bill in mid-November, one in a suite of bills that also included expanding insurance coverage for in vitro fertilization for LGBTQ couples; and requiring landlords to disclose all fees before a rental lease is signed.

Her bill was filed prior to an initiative launched by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on December 4 to ban THC products in Texas entirely.

In addition to legalizing recreational use, the bill also makes provisions for its production and sale including requiring that the packaging be child-resistent and clearly labeled, so that it's not confused for candy.

Businesses looking to grow, transport, test, or sell cannabis would need to be licensed by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. A 10 percent tax would be imposed on the sale of all cannabis and cannabis products. Some of the profits would go towards funding public schools.

If passed, the bill would take effect on September 1, 2025.

Medical cannabis is currently legal in Texas under the Texas Compassionate Use Program, which allows low-THC cannabis to be prescribed for conditions such as epilepsy, MS, autism, cancer, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Some cities have also approved decriminalization for the possession of four ounces or less of marijuana, including Austin, Bastrop, Dallas, Denton, Elgin, Killeen, and Lockhart.

politics marijuana