Texas Home School Coalition » Legal Issues

THSC Suit Against CPS Continues

Tim Lambert — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 19:55:49 +0000

The THSC federal civil rights lawsuit against CPS continues in Houston. This suit was filed on behalf of a Houston grandmother who had her grandchildren illegally removed from her by CPS. We have written before about the travesty of justice against this godly grandmother, her own daughter, and her grandchildren by CPS. The case has been ongoing since last spring.

Recently, depositions were taken in the case on both sides of the lawsuit, and the mother of the children in question, who had disappeared due to an ongoing struggle with addiction, gave testimony that supported the claims of the grandmother and undermined the claims of the CPS workers and supervisors.

An interesting fact in the case is that at CPS’ first meeting with the mother of the children, the agent arrived with a pre-written letter for her to sign. The letter stated that she wanted to place her children in foster care. She refused to sign it and specified that she wanted the children with her mother. It is important to note that this was just after CPS had illegally taken the kids from their grandmother while the mother was in a rehabilitation facility.

At a second meeting with the daughter, the CPS agent related that they were not placing the children with the grandmother because of a suspected bipolar disorder and other issues that were fabricated by CPS officials.

What is vital about the daughter’s testimony is that at the first meeting with CPS, they made clear that it was her choice as to whether her children stayed in foster care (where CPS had placed them after the illegal removal) or with the grandmother. They tried to convince the mother to sign their pre-written statement (which would have been a major coup for them and a way to cover their illegal actions) by telling her that her mother was planning to adopt the kids out from under her, which was also a total fabrication. It was not until later, at a second meeting, that the “bipolar” issue—again, a fabrication—was used as an excuse as to why CPS was refusing to place the kids with family as she had instructed.

In the depositions of the CPS officials, they acknowledge their actions and claim they were only doing what their supervisors told them to do. When asked if they would follow such an order if they were told to go to a local daycare center and take a child at random without a court order, they replied that they would do so trusting that their superior was in the right.

These same officials acknowledged receiving the CPS legal memorandum clearly stating that it was illegal and against CPS policy to take children from a home without a court order. When asked if their actions were in direct conflict with this directive, they simply replied that they were not sure.

Please continue to pray for THSC Special Counsel for CPS issues, Chris Branson, as he and his team continue to seek to hold these rogue CPS officials accountable for the terrible harm they did to these children and for the violation they committed against this godly grandmother who was trying desperately to protect her grandchildren.

The post THSC Suit Against CPS Continues appeared first on Texas Home School Coalition.

Follow Up Letter to CPS – October 12, 2012

Tim Lambert — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 20:45:26 +0000

Tim Lambert writes a letter to Audrey Deckinga, Assistant Commissioner, Child Protective Services in Austin, Texas regarding a memo notifying all case workers that the practice of educating one’s children through home schooling is not considered child abuse or neglect.

The post Follow Up Letter to CPS – October 12, 2012 appeared first on Texas Home School Coalition.

Letter to K12 – June 11, 2012

Tim Lambert — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 15:37:51 +0000

A member family had trouble registering their child in K-12, on online virtual school in California.

Read the letter.

The post Letter to K12 – June 11, 2012 appeared first on Texas Home School Coalition.

Letter to Houston CPS – February 26, 2012

Tim Lambert — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 21:59:12 +0000

Tim sent a letter to the TDFPS in regards to an email received by THSC in which a CPS investigator requested information on a homeschool family. Tim informed the investigator that as a CPS worker, he had no authority to investigate homeschool families with regard to enforcement of compulsory attendance laws, or to review their curriculum, and that his actions were in violation of DFPS policy.

Read the letter.

The post Letter to Houston CPS – February 26, 2012 appeared first on Texas Home School Coalition.

Letter to Snyder ISD – February 9, 2012

Tim Lambert — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:20:07 +0000

Recently a member family contacted THSC requesting help in response to continued harassment from the Snyder Independent School District following the withdrawal of their daughter to homeschool. Tim responded by written communication to the authorities involved, educating them on Texas law and the current position of the TEA and Texas commissioner of education.

Read the letter to Snyder ISD.

The post Letter to Snyder ISD – February 9, 2012 appeared first on Texas Home School Coalition.

Letter to Colleyville ISD – January 25, 2012

Tim Lambert — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 17:27:08 +0000

Tim writes a letter to Colleyville ISD concerning withdrawal from public school.

Read the letter.

The post Letter to Colleyville ISD – January 25, 2012 appeared first on Texas Home School Coalition.

Letter to Kaufman CPS – October 14, 2011

Tim Lambert — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 21:25:10 +0000

When a THSC member was coerced by CPS into signing forms that would allow their children to be academically tested and told they were required to follow a list of rules and restrictions, such as being a certified teacher among others, in order to homeschool, Tim Lambert wrote aletter to CPS officials, reminding them that they do not have authority over home school families regarding education and cannot legally require home school families to have their children academically tested.

Read the letter.

The post Letter to Kaufman CPS – October 14, 2011 appeared first on Texas Home School Coalition.

Letter to DFPS Commissioner – October 12, 2011

Tim Lambert — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 21:09:12 +0000

THSC was recently contacted by member family in the process of adopting two young children. Child Protective Services (CPS) had denied this family a waiver to homeschool these children during the six month foster period prior to adoption. Tim Lambert wrote a letter directly to the Commissioner of DFPS regarding the denial and requirements for testing and assessment by CPS that was unheard of and not required of families with adopted children in the past.

Read the letter.

The post Letter to DFPS Commissioner – October 12, 2011 appeared first on Texas Home School Coalition.

Letter to Lamesa ISD – September 28, 2011

Tim Lambert — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 17:13:57 +0000

Tim follows up on the September 13, 2011 letter to Lamesa ISD.

Read the follow-up letter to the assistant superintendent of Lamesa ISD.

The post Letter to Lamesa ISD – September 28, 2011 appeared first on Texas Home School Coalition.

Letter to Lamesa ISD – September 13, 2011

Tim Lambert — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 17:45:29 +0000

As another school year got underway, THSC found it necessary to inform an elementary principal at Lamesa ISD that it is not necessary for a parent or guardian to make an appearance at the school or complete school forms to disenroll their child if they have given written notice of withdrawal; neither is it required by law.

Apparently, as part of their policy, Lamesa ISD requires parents, who are withdrawing their children from that district to homeschool, to review a 10-page “Home School Information Packet,” which includes several pages for parents to sign and return. Tim later followed up with a second letter to the assistant superintendent explaining that this packet was in direct violation of the laws regarding home schooling that have been determined by the courts.

Read the first letter.

The post Letter to Lamesa ISD – September 13, 2011 appeared first on Texas Home School Coalition.