Oklahoma State Senator Accused Of Sexually Assaulting An Uber Driver

Emma Gray
Updated
State Senator Bryce Marlatt.  (Photo: Oklahoma State Legislature)
State Senator Bryce Marlatt.  (Photo: Oklahoma State Legislature)

A Republican state senator from Oklahoma has been accused of forcefully grabbing and kissing his female Uber driver without her consent. Local news station KFOR-4 first reported that GOP state Sen. Bryce Marlatt had been named as a suspect.

According to the police report, the driver approached a police officer on June 28 saying that she was “unsure what she needed to do,” but had been assaulted on Monday, June 26. She then told the officer that she drives for Uber and that a customer had “made advances on her during transit” while she was transporting him to his hotel.

The police report states that the driver described how the man had “grabb[ed] her forcefully” and “kiss[ed] [her] on the neck while she was driving.”

After the incident, the driver reportedly obtained basic information about the passenger, and was able to find a photograph of him online, which she showed to the police officer.

MSgt. Gary Knight of the Oklahoma City Police Department told HuffPost on Thursday afternoon that they “have not identified anybody involved in this case at this time.” (Head over to BuzzFeed to read the full police report with names redacted, as provided by the Oklahoma City Police Department.)

An Uber spokesperson said in a statement to HuffPost that they are working with the local police department: “What’s been reported is not tolerated and has no place on the Uber app. We are working with the Oklahoma City Police Department and will provide any information to them that would be helpful for their ongoing investigation.”

Sen. Marlatt, who has served in the Oklahoma State Senate since 2008, did not respond to HuffPost’s request for comment, but his attorney told KFOR that “the senator is shocked and surprised by the allegations and has asked his legal counsel to work with Uber to get to the bottom of this.”

Also on HuffPost

"It happens at any time."

“I was tattooed by a guy and while he was tattooing me, he kept inserting his fingers up my vagina. He said he had to keep his hand there to keep the skin taut for tattooing. The most ironic part is that the tattoo is the symbol for female; I wanted the tattoo as a sign of feminism and got sexually assaulted in the process.”
“I was tattooed by a guy and while he was tattooing me, he kept inserting his fingers up my vagina. He said he had to keep his hand there to keep the skin taut for tattooing. The most ironic part is that the tattoo is the symbol for female; I wanted the tattoo as a sign of feminism and got sexually assaulted in the process.”

"It happens unwillingly."

“I can't remember details or the order of things, but she was very, very aggressive. She left bruises all over me and I was bleeding the next morning. She held me down and forced a lot. I didn't say no clearly, but I definitely didn't agree to the aggressive actions she took. Lack of consent is not the presence of a no, it's also the absence of a yes.”

"It happens anywhere."

“I lost my virginity at a party when I was in middle school. He gave me a drink and I can’t really remember what happened after that. Just bits and pieces for the most part... but I couldn’t say no or push him off while he made me have sex with him. I woke up next to him and I was really sore but i couldn’t tell anyone what happened.”

"It happens suddenly."

“I blacked out and just remember very short flashing images… I remember him asking me if I was on birth control, but I was too incoherent to talk. I was trying to explain that I wasn't. We had sex anyway. I didn't want to and I barely remember it." 
“I blacked out and just remember very short flashing images… I remember him asking me if I was on birth control, but I was too incoherent to talk. I was trying to explain that I wasn't. We had sex anyway. I didn't want to and I barely remember it." 

"It happens to anyone."

“When I was in high school, the only place to live for me was my uncle's place. I thought I could trust them, but there were nights when I would wake up to one of them, the biological one, in my room, or he would sneakily try to touch my junk. I never really resolved it.”
“When I was in high school, the only place to live for me was my uncle's place. I thought I could trust them, but there were nights when I would wake up to one of them, the biological one, in my room, or he would sneakily try to touch my junk. I never really resolved it.”

"It happens unexpectedly."

“I was at a party once, sober, and two of my good female friends pulled me aside, telling me that someone needed help. They pulled me into this room and pinned me against the wall and started kissing me and taking my pants off, but I was able to push them off and leave. The two girls who were my friends claim that they don't remember the incident since they were drunk.”

"It happens without reason."

“We had been drinking and, by the end of the night, I had lost all control. I was falling in and out of consciousness. I remember waking up with him on top of me but I kept passing back out before I could do anything about it. I always thought it was my fault for getting too drunk.”
“We had been drinking and, by the end of the night, I had lost all control. I was falling in and out of consciousness. I remember waking up with him on top of me but I kept passing back out before I could do anything about it. I always thought it was my fault for getting too drunk.”

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.