This is a follow-up article to the article presented entitled: Texas Senator Exposes Corruption with CPS and Child Abuse Doctors Over Medical Kidnapping of 4-Year-Old Child. link to complete story here
Please note: it is reprinted directly from MedicalKidnap.com. It is being presented here in three installments due to length. This is the 2nd installment. The article in its entirety can be found here: link to full article here.
The Background:
THSC has launched a campaign to raise money for the Pardos’ legal expenses. The Pardos are a homeschool THSC member family. The Pardo case has gained media attention due to egregious and repeated violations of the law committed by CPS. After refusing to inform the family of allegations against them, the agency fabricated an emergency to remove the child, ultimately pressuring a judge to grant them temporary conservatorship of Drake at a hearing on July 2.
The events have put the homeschool community, the family’s State Senator, and the media in an uproar.
CPS first made contact with the family on June 7, leaving a business card on the family’s door. Two weeks later, after repeated and unsuccessful attempts by the family and their attorney to obtain any information about the case, CPS suddenly declared an “emergency” and forcibly removed Drake from his home.
At the time of the removal, advocates from Family Rights Advocacy and the Parent Guidance Center were live on the phone, attempting to de-escalate the situation.
In a rough cell phone video captured by the family, the Pardos remained calm but can be seen challenging the caseworker’s claim to a two-week delayed “emergency” and the decision to suddenly remove Drake. Drake’s father, Daniel, can be heard for several minutes attempting to keep Drake calm as he is placed into the police car and as he asks repeatedly why his father is not coming with him.
On April 22, nearly two months prior to this horrific incident, the Pardos had filed an official complaint against Children’s Medical Center because of the refusal of one of Drake’s doctors to visit him while he was admitted to the hospital.
Children’s informed the family that they would review the matter and resolve it within 45 days. On day 46, with the family still having heard nothing from the Children’s Medical Center, CPS showed up at the family’s door with an affidavit signed by one of the hospital’s doctors and removed Drake.
At a hearing on July 2, approximately 100 homeschoolers arrived to support the Pardos and their attorney as they argued that Drake should be returned home. During the hearing, testimony from CPS and Dr. Dakil of Children’s Medical Center left the audience in shock.
Dr. Dakil admitted on the stand that:
- She had never seen or met with Drake or his parents;
- She had no first-hand knowledge of Drake’s medical conditions;
- The concerns listed in her affidavit were all speculative and she could not confirm them or rule them out without speaking to the parents, a step she had not yet taken;
- Her concerns were not an emergency;
- She had not requested that Drake be removed from his home and only wanted CPS to facilitate a meeting with the family on June 10 to help address her concerns;
- She was surprised when CPS chose to remove Drake from his home;
- Going forward, her concerns could all be alleviated by having a sit-down conversation with the parents to create a treatment plan and having both parents attend future medical visits;
- She was not sure how that would be possible as long as Drake remained in CPS custody as CPS had been given conservatorship of Drake;
The CPS caseworker and her supervisor admitted in testimony that prior to the removal CPS had:
- never seen or talked to the child, the parents, family members, neighbors, or any doctors who had first-hand knowledge of Drake’s condition;
- not conducted a background investigation;
- not pursued multiple opportunities to resolve the issue without removal;
- refused to disclose the allegations to the parents or to their lawyer;
- had no firsthand knowledge of any wrongdoing by the parents;
- had intentionally not informed the family of the June 10 meeting requested by Children’s Medical Center.
- decided there was an “emergency” because the family failed to attend the June 10 meeting they were never informed of.
- decided there was an emergency based on the concerns provided by Dr. Dakil, despite Dr. Dakil’s testimony that her concerns were not an emergency.
State Senator Bob Hall, who attended the July 2 hearing, recently recounted his observations and his disbelief at the “egregious miscarriage of justice” that is taking place in the case.
To add to the list of offenses, when the July 2 hearing began it was discovered that CPS and the Attorney Ad. Litem had failed to respond to the valid discovery requests from the Pardo’s attorney.
Observers in the courtroom were left searching for anything that CPS had done correctly during their gross mishandling of the case.
Despite the lack of any evidence against the family and the admissions by CPS of their gross and repeated mishandling of the case, Judge Michael Chitty granted every single request made by CPS’s attorney, including leaving Drake in CPS custody, and issued a gag order preventing the family from discussing the case publicly.
CPS saves thousands of children from legitimate situations of abuse. Their incredibly difficult job and the considerable weight of their responsibility is something that none of us should envy. However, when laws are broken without a second thought, CPS can quickly become the source of trauma in a child’s life.
When this happens, judges, lawmakers, and the public must be willing to stand up to defend innocent families.
(end of 2nd installment)
