Back in September, a man was attending a rodeo in Tulsa when he saw someone groping a female worker’s backside. So he did what any decent guy would do–he read the groper the riot act. What’s he getting for it? A lawsuit from the groper.
Melissa Smith told KOTV in Tulsa that she was working a booth at a Professional Bull Riders event at Tulsa’s BOK Center when from out of nowhere, a man slapped and grabbed her backside–twice. Smith was so stunned that all she could do was yell at the lowlife and shake her finger at him. Shane Vernon, who was on his way to the bathroom, saw the whole thing. After checking to make sure Smith was OK, he collared the groper and yelled at him. The assailant denied it, only making Vernon madder. He grabbed the assailant’s cigarettes and cowboy hat and hurled them into the arena.
Initially, people were looking at Vernon as if he was the one who’d lost his mind. However, when security questioned Vernon and Smith, they realized what had happened and tried to find the groper. By that time, however, he’d escaped. While Vernon said he’d “never experienced stuff like that,” he felt that he had to do something since he has a wife and daughter.
The groper was eventually identified as Leonel Olivarez, who now faces up to 10 years in prison for felony sexual battery. He would also have to register as a sex offender if convicted. However, on Friday Olivarez turned around and sued Vernon for assault and battery. Olivarez’ complaint says that Vernon grabbed his shoulder in an aggressive manner, leading Olivarez to fear he was going to get beaten up. He also claims that Vernon intended to publicly embarrass and humiliate him. It also denies that Olivarez grabbed Smith.
Olivarez’ lawyer claims there’s another side to the story, but can’t comment further. It’ll be interesting to see what that other side is, because all available evidence says that Olivarez did indeed grope Smith.
Tulsa police say that the incident was caught on surveillance video. According to a police affidavit, Olivarez admitted what he did–presumably after seeing the video–and even demonstrated how he did it to police. He also wrote an apology to Smith.
Frankly, Olivarez’ lawsuit is–at least on the face of it–one of the most frivolous lawsuits I’ve ever seen. Any man who disrespects a woman in this way deserves to get humiliated. I’d have done the same thing to Olivarez if he’d groped my girlfriend. I’d really like to know where Olivarez shops, because I don’t think you can buy guts that big anywhere in Tulsa–or anywhere in Oklahoma, for that matter.
The only way I can see Olivarez’ lawsuit going anywhere is if it turns out his confession and apology were improperly obtained. And if Vernon’s account of his actions is accurate, there isn’t a prosecutor in this country who could charge him–or any other Good Samaritan who did what he did–with assault and keep his job.
Vernon says he can’t comment further on the case because he has to hire an attorney to defend himself from this disgraceful lawsuit. Hopefully he won’t have to remain silent for long.
If there is any sanity at all, the velocity with which this suit should be tossed out ought to create quite the breeze. And Olivarez might be staring down the barrel of some pretty hefty sanctions for filing a frivolous lawsuit–including Vernon’s legal fees.
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Darrell Lucus, also known as Christian Dem in NC on Daily Kos, is a radical-lefty Jesus-lover who has been blogging for change for a decade. Follow him on Twitter @DarrellLucus or connect with him on Facebook.
