Say Anything Blog

This should be alarming to everyone:

But nine months earlier, Sabrina’s parents were completely exonerated by Virginia CPS hearing officer George Walton, who noted in his official report that, despite the baby’s worrisome 10-ounce weight loss soon after her birth by Caesarian section, nothing in the her medical record indicated she had ever been in danger. There was also no evidence, Walton added, that Sabrina’s “failure to thrive” resulted from parental neglect.

In fact, the record showed the opposite: Nancy Hey – who suffers from a developmental disorder that makes it difficult for her to recognize non-verbal signals from others – and her husband fully cooperated with medical professionals and CPS workers throughout their ordeal. In any case, Sabrina was at her proper weight when she was taken away by county officials, two days after her parents told social worker Dana Zemke that they were retaining a lawyer. Arlington Judge Esther Wiggins Lyles signed the removal order with neither Hey nor Slitor even aware of the proceedings, much less being present to contest the decision. Sabrina went to a politically influential local professional couple with no training as foster parents, despite CPS requirements that foster couples be trained before being entrusted with children.

So the judge in the case has signed an order to TERMINATE the parents rights to the child.  Why?  It’s not at all unusual for babies to lose weight after they are born and you shouldn’t use weight loss against the family when the baby was back to normal.

What’s greatly troubling is that the baby went to a non-foster family.  One that has political connections.  That should ring alarm bells across the country.

Even more troubling is the #1 reason the judge cited to steal this child from the parents.  He said that the child had “bonded” with the foster mother.  That seems curious logic as that never would have come up if the state had not intervened where it apparently had no business.

The judge cited some other “what-if’s” to justify his decision.  One thing that I found curious was he said that she “strictly” adhered to the prescribed.  HMM, it seems to me that’s a sign of a family trying to do the right thing. 

The other thing that is strictly alarming is that the family was not allowed to contest the proceedings.  They weren’t allowed at the beginning and now the judge is saying that it’s too late to mount a defense because the baby has bonded.  No matter what you think following the rule of law has to be done.  “What’s best for the child” isn’t something to be left up to a few bureaucrats who don’t know a thing about raising kids.

I got this story from Jay Tea. It was his opinion that the people responsible should be prosecuted for kidnapping to the fullest extent of the law.  I have to agree.

Is anyone’s family safe?