In the 1970s and 80s, Houston judge Paul Pressler was one of the driving forces connecting the Republican party to white evangelicals — and as his prominence rose, so did allegations of sexual abuse.
Senior Writer at Texas Monthly Robert Downen spoke with NTX Now's Miranda Suarez and Ron Corning about his reporting, which details Pressler's continued influence on some right-wing organizations, even two years after his death.
These interview highlights have been edited for length and clarity. To hear the full conversation, click the 'listen' button above.
Downen has been reporting on the sexual abuse allegations at the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) for almost a decade. His team at the Houston Chronicle began digging into allegations against Pressler, which turned into a story much bigger than they could have imagined.
"There was a cultural issue at hand of which Pressler was a perfect emblem," Downen said.
The piece begins with introducing Duane Rollins, who was a victim of sexual abuse and ignored by leaders of the SBC for decades. His story shines a light on a systemic pattern of abuse that was happening within the SBC over many years.
Downen's piece also bridges together the intersection of religion and politics, and the influence the SBC has on modern right-wing policies.
"Their religion and politics become inseparable, but also the kind of culture war mentality becomes the driving factor and the lens through which not only they view what they are doing, but also what people are doing who are their opponents," Downen said.
Miranda Suarez and Ron Corning are the hosts of KERA's NTX Now. Got a tip? Email Miranda at msuarez@kera.org or Ron at rcorning@kera.org.
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