Father describes hard lessons

Blogger Note:

This sounds all too familiar! It seems that every family that CPS touches, tells the same story. The only difference is in the names. The only good that ever comes of CPS involvement with a family is that they soon learn the truth about kangaroo courts and how our country is truly run. ? What Constitution ?
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Family dispute gone wrong leads to girls taken from home.

ELKHART — Victor Marquis remembers Sept. 13, 2007, as the day his disillusionment with his country began.

Marquis, a 47-year-old engineer whose two teenage daughters live with him, recalls that night in 2007 when they were taken away and mired in what he calls an unconstitutional system.

That night, Marquis says, the family was planning to attend an event that required wearing clothes that his older daughter, Victoria, resisted putting on.

Tensions between him and his now-ex-wife were already heading toward divorce, he says, and when 13-year-old Victoria refused to wear the outfit, Marquis became so angry he decided to spank the girl. His wife stepped in front of him to block him, he says, so he spanked his wife instead.

His then-wife ran downstairs and Marquis followed, he says, accidentally running into the girls’ stepmother and knocking her down some stairs.

Marquis says the woman was not injured and things calmed down, so he left to pick up his younger daughter. But when he returned, police were there.

The father was ultimately charged with felony domestic battery in front of a minor, which was reduced to a misdemeanor and led to a year’s probation.

But the incident also led to the girls being declared wards of the state, who spent almost 18 months in foster homes.

Marquis’ first attorney told him to agree with Child Protective Services that the children were in need of services and things would move more quickly; instead, he says, the situation became even more complicated.

Victoria, who is now 18, says one foster home had such a bad lice infestation that the girls suffered with the nits for six months. The other home, she says, housed other foster children who ate most of the available food, forcing the girls to appeal to a neighbor for sustenance.

Marquis says he attended individual and family therapy sessions, trying his best to comply with Department of Child Services wishes.

He attended anger management classes, he says, but they insisted that he admit to beating his wife.

“They wanted me to say, ‘I’m Victor Marquis, and I’m a batterer,’” he says. “I wasn’t a wife abuser. ... There were men in there who had beat their wives and still had their kids.”

The man running the program eventually testified that Marquis was in denial about what had happened, he says.

Even after he had hired a different attorney, Marquis says he wasn’t allowed to call his own witnesses, such as the girls’ mother, Sharon Marquis, to defend his parenting skills. Sharon had given him full custody long before the incident, she says, because of issues of her own.

Sharon Marquis and both girls say Victor has rarely lost his temper. But “I could have handled it differently, I admit,” he says now.

The judge stressed that it was against the law for him to tell anyone else about the case, he says, which added to the helplessness.

“They were feeling good about taking my kids away from me based on incorrect information, which I was never able to refute,” Marquis says.

“There’s no oversight,” he says, “and parents are minimized.”

Meanwhile, Victoria says that when she’d meet with her Court Appointed Special Advocate, what she told her was reported out of context in court.

She told the woman, “‘I miss my family,’” Victoria says. “‘My dad is a little crazy, but isn’t everybody a little crazy?’ She told the judge I said, ‘My dad is crazy.’ It was ridiculous. They didn’t really listen.”

The girls had to switch schools twice while living in the foster homes. Victoria says she’s less trusting — and more possessive of her things — than she used to be.

Her father is more bitter.

“This is not the country I grew up in,” Marquis says. “This is not the country I thought it was.”

Source http://www.wsbt.com/news/sbt-father-describes-hard-lessons-20120226,0,5201592.story

Professor who helped youths in foster care systems charged with rape and sexual child abuse

Dwain Pellebon, 54, arrested for rape and lewd acts
Denies charges but admitted being 'affectionate and sensual'
Admitted watching child porn

By Rachel Quigley

A social work professor accused of rape and performing other lewd acts on teenage girls has been formally charged.

Dwain Pellebon, 54, of the University of Oklahoma, was arraigned on two counts of rape, two counts of lewd acts with a child and two counts of sexual child abuse.

The professor was arrested last week after authorities received allegations from a child welfare worker he had sexually abused two teenage girls in the past two years. He denies all the allegations.

A state Department of Human Services worker told Norman police that a 13-year-old reported seeing Pellebon fondle another 13-year-old during a sleepover at the suspect's Norman home, according to a search warrant affidavit.

The girl was interviewed by police last week, according to NewsOk, and told them she woke up in his home on at least two occasions with Pellebon lying beside her touching her 'from her hair to her ankles'.

The alleged abuse started when she was 11.

The social worker also said Pellebon sexually abused a mentally disabled 15-year-old at least twice.

The girl also told police the suspect would remove her from bed, take her clothes off and 'display her on a bed for viewing'.

Court documents also revealed the girl said Pellebon kept track of her menstrual cycle and showed her 'parts of the body you weren't supposed to see'.

The social work professor admitted taking off the girl's clothes but said he did it to apply cream to her 'chest, back and butt' while they were alone in his bedroom.

NewsOk reported that though Pellebon denies any sexual contact, he described himself to investigators as an 'affectionate, sensual man who liked to hug, kiss, cuddle and stroke young girls that he felt close to'.

He also told police that he had viewed child pornography once but did not download it.

In 2001, Pellebon was investigated by DHS under similar circumstances but no charges were filed because the alleged victim — the daughter of a former Norman police officer — failed to give investigators a statement, documents show.

He has been placed on administrative leave without pay and is free on $75,000 bail.
The 54-year-old was a director on a local board for Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), which helps children in juvenile court and foster systems.

He took a leave of absence from the board earlier this year, a Cleveland County CASA spokesman told The Oklahoman.

Pellebon teaches a course on human sexuality that looks at ‘sexual behaviour, gender differences and sexual values’, reported CNN.

After he was arrested a university spokesman said they 'acted swiftly to suspend Pellebon from any contact with students and from use of any university facilities'.

Source http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2076602/Dwain-Pellebon-University-Oklahoma-social-work-professor-charged-rape-sexual-child-abuse.html

Interview with a CASA volunteer

Blogger note:
Found this interesting - since most of us know that CASA's are not truly independent (CPS has their hands wrapped tightly around the program and the volunteers) and do not always look out for the child(ren) in many cases.
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by Andrea Poe

EASTON, MD., November 28, 2011 — Last month, The Red Thread profiled CASA as an organization that helps children navigate the legal system. The organization relies on volunteers around the country. This week, The Red Thread interviewed one of those volunteers about her experiences with CASA.

Bonnie Morro, a graduate of the University of Connecticut, is a retired HR director at Becton Dickinson and Company, a medical technology manufacturer headquartered in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey.

Following her retirement in January 2005, she spent three years as a substitute teacher in the Torrington, Connecticut public school system, where she taught Kindergarten through 5th grade, as well as pre K developmentally challenged children.

After moving to Easton, Maryland, Morro became a CASA volunteer.

How did you first become involved with CASA?

I wanted to get involved in a volunteer activity that had substance, one that would challenge me, provide a service to the community and be fulfilling. While waiting to be accepted into the program I read a lot about the work that CASA did and was very impressed with the results of the organization’s efforts.

How extensive was the training? What did it entail?

Once an applicant has passed a background check, there is a requirement for 34 hours of in-house training before getting a CASA appointment. There is also a requirement to complete 12 hours of training each year following an appointment.

Initial training is very rigorous, and is conducted by CASA staff and external resources such as lawyers, judges, and Department of Social Services staff.

Training includes areas such as introduction to the law, child protection systems and the courts, exploring cultural awareness and understanding families and children.

What was your first assignment like?

I am currently working on my first assignment, which began in December of 2010. I have been fortunate to get a case where the biological parent is doing everything that has been outlined in her service plan.

The twins were infants when I was assigned the case and have been living in an excellent foster home. They are doing well and their biological mother is working toward reunification with her children.

As a new CASA volunteer, I have much to learn. Having a case that’s moving forward in a positive direction has given me an opportunity to gain experience without much of the frustration that can accompany so many of these cases.

How does it work?

A CASA is assigned a child who is under the protection of the court due to neglect, abuse or abandonment. Responsibilities include visiting the child, or, in my cases, children, once a month, corresponding with the Department of Social Services, meeting with the child(ren)’s parents, contacting any other sources that may be necessary, such as lawyers, teachers, physicians. You must also submit a written report to the court prior to the hearing for the case. A CASA must observe, question, conduct research and make recommendations based on his or her findings that are in the best interest of the child.

What's the most challenging part of being a CASA volunteer?

My greatest challenge is to ensure that I don't overlook anything that could be detrimental to the children. I work very closely with a Department of Social Services Child Protection worker and under the guidance of a CASA staff person.

What’s the greatest reward?

Knowing that what you are doing will make a positive impact on children’s lives.

Source http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/red-thread-adoptive-family-forum/2011/nov/28/interview-casa-volunteer/

Judge who freed Jerry Sandusky was Second Mile volunteer

Meanwhile, CEO of former coach Sandusky's youth charity resigns

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

It should be noted that "conflicts of interest," such as in this case are common when it comes to CPS and the courts. It happens all across America, to the benefit of CPS. Many of these judges are not just too tight with CPS and their reps but many of them donate time and / or money to agencies involved in foster and adoption placements. The same goes for some Gaurdian Ad Litems and CASA workers.

CASA - Best Interest Of The Children?

NCCPR has written a good article about CASA and how sometimes, the best interest of the child takes the back seat to arrogance and know it all attitudes. While there are some very good CASA workers who really do care about the children and do a very good job, some CASA volunteers can and do help CPS to destroy families.

http://www.nccprblog.org/2011/07/foster-care-in-texas-casa-rubs-salt-in.html