Former Governor's Mansion Employees Accused of Rape

By Colleen Chen, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY – Three former inmates say they were sexually assaulted while in state custody. The Department of Corrections is investigating those claims which point the finger at two men who worked at the Governor's mansion. Now, the attorney for one of the alleged victims is speaking out and she wants justice.

Records from the Department of Central Services show the Executive Chef and the Chief Groundskeeper of the Governor’s mansion were fired in late September. The termination came after the two were suspended with pay in July.

The Department of Corrections said the former chef and groundskeeper are under investigation for allegedly sexually assaulting female inmates.

Governor Brad Henry’s spokesman said the alleged incidents happened in a storage shed that is located on the far east side of the property. The shed is located near greenhouses that are actually outside of the security fence that surrounds the main mansion grounds.

DOC Spokesman Jerry Massie said the three alleged victims were working in a department horticulture program and were inmates at the Hillside Community Corrections Center. Massie said the alleged assaults happened between March 2008 and January and adds the women did not make the rape allegations until after they were released from state custody.

Janet Roloff is an attorney for one of the alleged victims.

“She’s told me that she was raped and that it was a brutal bloody rape. She was raped by two individuals. One of who held her down, while the other perpetrated the act,” Roloff said.

Roloff believes more people have information, but have not come forward. Roloff wants anyone who knows anything to talk to DOC investigators and District Attorney David Prater.

She said the whole incident makes her sad and that the incident has left her client with emotional and physical scars. Roloff wants swift justice and said the DOC needs to take responsibility.

“The fact that someone is a prisoner of the state puts an obligation on the state to make sure that individual is safe. They take away their freedom in some ways, but they must replace it with security,” Roloff said.

The Department of Corrections has submitted a preliminary report to the District Attorney’s office. As of Monday evening, no charges had been filed.

More on News9.com: Rape Allegations Not Linked to Security