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Who We Are »
Betsy Combier

Help Us to Continue to Help Others »
Email: betsy.combier@gmail.com

 
The E-Accountability Foundation announces the

'A for Accountability' Award

to those who are willing to whistleblow unjust, misleading, or false actions and claims of the politico-educational complex in order to bring about educational reform in favor of children of all races, intellectual ability and economic status. They ask questions that need to be asked, such as "where is the money?" and "Why does it have to be this way?" and they never give up. These people have withstood adversity and have held those who seem not to believe in honesty, integrity and compassion accountable for their actions. The winners of our "A" work to expose wrong-doing not for themselves, but for others - total strangers - for the "Greater Good"of the community and, by their actions, exemplify courage and self-less passion. They are parent advocates. We salute you.

Winners of the "A":

Johnnie Mae Allen
David Possner
Dee Alpert
Aaron Carr
Harris Lirtzman
Hipolito Colon
Larry Fisher
The Giraffe Project and Giraffe Heroes' Program
Jimmy Kilpatrick and George Scott
Zach Kopplin
Matthew LaClair
Wangari Maathai
Erich Martel
Steve Orel, in memoriam, Interversity, and The World of Opportunity
Marla Ruzicka, in Memoriam
Nancy Swan
Bob Witanek
Peyton Wolcott
[ More Details » ]
 
Utah Judge, in Shift, Lets Lesbian Couple Keep Foster Child
A Utah judge on Friday reversed, at least temporarily, his order that a foster child be taken away from a lesbian couple because of their sexual orientation, but he continued to question the placement of children with same-sex parents. The judge, Scott N. Johansen of Juvenile Court, had issued an order on Tuesday saying that the child, a 9-month-old girl, be removed from the couple’s home by the end of the day next Tuesday and placed with a heterosexual couple.
          
   April M. Hoagland and Rebecca A. Peirce in Salt Lake City this week.   
Utah Judge, in Shift, Lets Lesbian Couple Keep Foster Child
By RICHARD PÉREZ-PEÑA, NY TIMES, NOV. 13, 2015

A Utah judge on Friday reversed, at least temporarily, his order that a foster child be taken away from a lesbian couple because of their sexual orientation, but he continued to question the placement of children with same-sex parents.

The judge, Scott N. Johansen of Juvenile Court, had issued an order on Tuesday saying that the child, a 9-month-old girl, be removed from the couple’s home by the end of the day next Tuesday and placed with a heterosexual couple.

The foster parents, Rebecca A. Peirce, 34, and April M. Hoagland, 38, and the state Division of Child and Family Services, both filed motions Thursday asking the judge to reconsider, and said they were prepared to appeal his decision. The couple, who were married last October, live in Price, southeast of Salt Lake City.

It is not clear that the fight is over, given the wording of the revised order the judge issued Friday.

Utah Judge Orders Lesbian Couple to Give Up Foster Child
NOV. 12, 2015
Judge Johansen eliminated one line saying that “it is not in the best interest of children to be raised by same-sex couples,” and another directing that the girl be removed and placed with a heterosexual couple. But the new order still says, “The court cited a concern that research has shown that children are more emotionally and mentally stable when raised by a mother and father in the same home.”

A hearing is scheduled for Dec. 4 to determine what is in the best interests of the child, who has lived since August with Ms. Hoagland, Ms. Peirce and Ms. Peirce’s two biological children.

"We want to keep children stable in their homes,” said Ashley Sumner, a spokeswoman for the Division of Child and Family Services. “Our position is that it’s in the child’s best interest to stay with the foster family.”

The legal dispute is the first of its kind in Utah, she said, because the state only recently began approving foster child placements with same-sex couples. It did so after the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling on gay marriage in June. Until a Federal District Court ruling in 2013, Utah did not allow same-sex marriages, and did not recognize those from other states.

Gov. Gary R. Herbert, a Republican, weighed in on the issue Thursday, saying that he was “a little puzzled” by the judge’s action. “He may not like the law,” the governor said, “but he should follow the law.”

The women and their lawyer could not be reached by phone Friday morning.

Court papers show that the baby girl is not a candidate for reunification with her biological parents. They say that she was abused, that her father is incarcerated and that her birth mother has relinquished all rights to her.

Utah Judge Orders Lesbian Couple to Give Up Foster Child
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/13/us/utah-lesbian-couple-foster-child-heterosexual-family.html

 
© 2003 The E-Accountability Foundation