Support NeoGAF

[CDX]

Utah judge orders baby removed from same-sex foster parents and placed with and placed with heterosexual family

The women, who are legally married and were approved as foster parents in Utah earlier this year after passing home inspections, background checks and interviews from DCFS, said the judge told them there was a lot of research that indicated children who are raised in same-sex parent homes do not do as well as children who are raised by heterosexual parents.

"It hurts me really badly because I haven't done anything wrong," said April.

The women say the baby has thrived in their home since she arrived three months ago. They want to adopt her and grow their family. They are already raising Beckie's children who are 12 and 14.

They say the foster child's state-appointed attorney supports them as does the biological mother of the baby - she wants her child to stay with her foster mothers.

Attorney Mandie Torgerson, who represents the baby's biological mother, said Johansen did not cite the research he referenced in court saying only that there are "a myriad" of studies that support his order.

Torgerson said her client is upset. She will appeal the judge's order at a hearing has been set for early December.

Brent Platt, Director of the state's Division of Child and Family Services, said he had not seen the judge's order - but his caseworkers must comply. At the same time, he wants to make sure his caseworkers don't break the law by removing the child. He will have his division's attorneys look at the judge's order.

"For us, it's what's best for the child," he said.

The Judge

Edit UPDATE:

http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/13/us/utah-judge-lesbian-couple-child/index.html

Officially rescinded

A Utah judge who initially ruled that a foster child be removed from the home of a lesbian couple has rescinded his order, according to court documents signed Friday.

Juvenile court Judge Scott Johansen had ordered Tuesday that the child be removed from the home and sent "to a more traditional home," according to the Utah Division of Child and Family Services.

But Johansen has since amended his original ruling, crossing out the line in the order that read "The Court orders the Division to place the child with a duly married, heterosexual foster-adoptive couple within one week. The Division's motion to stay the execution of this order until the best interest hearing is held is denied."

By doing so, he reversed his verbal order.

 

[Mostmanlyman]

Wow, what the hell. Fuck that judge

 

[BodiesWithoutOrgans]

Fuck this guy

 

[TheAbsolution]

Fuck that judge. I hope they get the kid back.

 

[HORRORSHØW]

what research? cite them instead of shielding your bigotry behind feigned academia

even still, the biological mother wants her child to live with those women

 

[TheOfficeMut]

This makes me seethe.

 

[Escape Goat]

Better take their teenage children too before they become gay homeless psycopathic welfare queens.

 

[ItIsOkBro]

what research?

I feel like this is the big question someone should have asked.

 

[spwolf]

i dont understand why was the judge ruling on this at all? Seems everyone wanted the kid to go there, so who opposed? who sued?

 

[Switch Back 9]

This is fucking disgusting. That picture just makes me hate the guy even more, what an absolute piece of shit.

 

[InsaneZero]

(Citation Needed)

Hope the appeal goes through.

 

[Chariot]

Can we then take children from bigots and asshats too?

 

[bjork]

There's a myriad of studies to "prove" anything. Like, you could say this article is proof enough that this judge is a giant turd. I would agree.

 

[User1608]

What a fucking piece of shit. Absolutely deplorable and a clear violation of their rights. Fuck bigots.

 

[danm999]

This is ripe for appeal no?

In the meantime though that's devastating for the family some old bigot is causing them misery.

 

[Linkyn]

I don't understand. Why was a judge involved at all? Seems like nobody was bothered by them raising the child.

 

[rtcn63]

Is he Jason Isaacs?

 

[Hyperactivity]

even if research is right, then that would mean we should take kids from poor and minority parents

in fact, why even let people that aren't rich have kids?

 

[mcfrank]

There is lots of research that says this Judge is a fuckwad.

 

[dabig2]

It's great that bigots get to make people's lives they don't like utter hell, and then use the results of that constant and irrational hate to argue why being gay or having gay parents raise children is harmful and is a problem itself.

Absolutely fuck these people. Your God hates you. And if he doesn't, then he's not worth the time.

 

[liquidtmd]

that there are "a myriad" of studies that support his order.

Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuckk yooooooooooooou

 

[FortuneFaded]

even if research is right, then that would mean we should take kids from poor and minority parents

in fact, why even let people that aren't rich have kids?

Statistically children are far more likely to be sexually abused, kidnapped or killed by their own parents rather than anyone else, so perhaps the jugde thinks that all families should be outlawed.

 

[CassCade]

the judge told them there was a lot of research that indicated children who are raised in same-sex parent homes do not do as well as children who are raised by heterosexual parents.

If this research is somehow true then I would probably argue that it's not the parents fault but societies fault and it's stigma towards gay people, men especially kids with their parents influencing their views on what's right or wrong. Would explain why kids raised by same sex couples don't do as well.

I probably sound like I am condoning the judge's actions but I am not, dude sounds like a bigot, forcefully removing a child from their home even though the birth mother wants the child there.

 

[SlickShoesRUCrazy]

Tell the judge to fuck off and prove it, because simply saying something doesn't make it true.

Piece of shit is probably pulling it out of his ass or some right wing Christian bullshit "scientific" magazine

 

[off duty ninja]

i dont understand why was the judge ruling on this at all? Seems everyone wanted the kid to go there, so who opposed? who sued?

Seriously, this article contains no real information or source material. It would be nice to know why exactly the judge was even in position to make this ruling if everybody else involved is ok with it.

Clearly somebody has petitioned or sued or whatever is needed since a judge can't just pick people out and say "I am judging you today". Terrible article...

 

[HylianTom]

What a shitheel.

Conservatives are bound & determined to make this an issue going into next year, aren't they? Very well then.

 

[dofry]

Did a quick Scholar search on this but seems usually the kids are better off than with heterosexual couples. In a position of power you have a responsibility to make solid decisions based on facts. Present me facts and I'll understand your viewpoints. Just saying "a lot" is not sufficient.

 

[Grym]

My jaw literally dropped while reading that.

W......T........F

 

[Fox318]

Isn't this the type of judge activism that conservatives hate?

 

[metalslimer]

Just so everyone knows there is no research that goes along with this.

 

[davepoobond]

Isn't this the type of judge activism that conservatives hate?

It's not activisim if they do it

 

[FStop7]

Isn't this the type of judge activism that conservatives hate?

No they only hate judicial activism that's contrary to their beliefs. Stuff that falls in line with their beliefs is fine by them.

Seriously speaking: Fucking with peoples' families is how things can get out of control.

 

[soepje]

I red in again. Just fuck the judge.

 

[PopeReal]

Can we start taking kids away from straight parents who are shit at raising kids?

 

[Armaros]

Just so everyone knows there is no research that goes along with this.

And if you are going to use research studies to back up a judicial order, you better be able to cite the actual studies instead of 'alot of research backs up my point"

 

[Frog-fu]

Judge belongs in jail.

 

[FStop7]

Can we start taking kids away from straight parents who are shit at raising kids?

That happens all the time.

But taking kids away from good homes because the judge has a personal agenda? Dangerous territory. This is how real civil disobedience and violence gets sparked. Don't mess with someone's children.

 

[Mr_Antimatter]

Sounds like an appeal to authority, without actually citing what authority. I doubt this would stand up on appeal, if they demanded the judge show these studies on which his decision is based.

 

[ghostjoke]

I feel like there are massive parts of this story missing. Doubt any of it will make me think that judge is anything more than a piece of shit, or maybe my brain can't comprehend how this is allowed to happen?

citation fucking needed.

 

[Shaanyboi]

That is not okay. This judge is a fucking asshole.

 

[Hollycat]

Fuck him. This is plain and simple homophobia

 

[Armaros]

I feel like there are massive parts of this story missing. Doubt any of it will make me think that judge is anything more than a piece of shit, or maybe my brain can't comprehend how this is allowed to happen?

citation fucking needed.

found another article on the story.

http://www.washingtonblade.com/2015/11/11/utah-judge-orders-removal-of-child-from-parents-because-theyre-gay/

More importantly

Nancy Volmer, a spokesperson for the Seventh District Juvenile Court, confirmed the accuracy of the report to the Washington Blade.

 

[gdt]

This judge is about to get his ass reamed.

 

[bjork]

There's got to be a smooth infographic somewhere that shows how wrong this dude is.

 

[HarryKS]

This is fucking disgusting. That picture just makes me hate the guy even more, what an absolute piece of shit.

Why? What's wrong with the picture?

 

[Bubbavelli]

I feel like this is the big question someone should have asked.

There was actually a study conducted by University of Texas professor and sociologist Mark Regnerus that found this to be true

Spoiler

Turns out he was funded by conservative groups and is not very thorough in terms of methodology, findings, etc

 

[MJPIA]

WTF

Assuming this is why the judge is involved in this case.

An attorney who represents the child's biological mother, whose parental rights are being terminated by the state

Class act this judge

In 1997, he was reprimanded by the Utah Judicial Conduct Commission for "demeaning the judicial office" after slapping a 16-year-old boy who became belligerent during a 1995 meeting at the Price courthouse. Johansen knocked the boy's hat off his head and slapped his face.

Johansen was also criticized in 2014 for ordering a Carbon County mother to lop off her 13-year-old daughter's ponytail as punishment for the teen cutting the hair off a 3-year-old girl at a McDonald's.

 

[Zekes!]

Don't these motherfuckers understand that they're on the wrong side of history? Get the fuck over your asinine "moral" beliefs

 

[Nivash]

I think I've got a link somewhere to a study that examined mental illness in children raised by same-sex couples, I could try to dig it up if anyone's interested. It found that said children are actually significantly less at risk than children raised by different sex couples. Now obviously, this isn't supposed to be interpreted as same-sex couples being inherently better parents - the reason is that for same-sex couples to have children they need to jump through so many hoops requiring both dedication and well-adjusted that they are pretty much by definition going too be above-average parents compared to a group that includes people who simply forgot to put on a condom.

 

[AnotherNils]

Uh,judge, their parenting outcome doesn't have to be better than a traditional family,it has to better than foster care. And I'm betting you don't have evidence that being raised by same sex parents is worse than foster care.