Contact Stephen Howsley
Stephen.Howsley@thsc.org
469-759-0375
December 15, 2020 — After dismissing all charges against the Pardo family and dropping the high-profile case in December 2019, Child Protective Services (CPS) kept the family on the Child Abuse Registry anyway.
One year later, the agency has finally agreed to remove Ashley and Daniel Pardo from the state’s registry of “child abusers,” a significant victory for the family.
The 2019 story of how Drake Pardo was illegally removed from his home by CPS drew international attention. The video story of Drake’s case went viral on social media, drawing more than 2.5 million views.
The family suffered six months of horrific trauma as they battled CPS for the return of their son.
After Texas Homeschool Coalition (THSC) launched a campaign to defend the family, lawmakers, opinion leaders, advocacy organizations, and tens of thousands of families flocked to their defense.
The Supreme Court of Texas intervened in October 2019 and ordered that Drake be immediately returned home.
In December 2019, CPS dropped all charges against the family and dismissed the case, but then the agency kept the family on the Child Abuse Registry anyway.
Once on the registry, a family’s designation as a “child abuser” stays on their record, shows up on background checks, and can prevent the family from obtaining employment or even volunteering at their child’s school and church activities.
Regardless of whether a family was ever found guilty of abuse or neglect, CPS has the sole authority to place a family on the registry.
As with the Pardos, parents who are completely innocent can be dubbed “child abusers” at the will of CPS and placed on the registry.
In April 2020, legal counsel for the Pardo family filed an official administrative appeal of CPS’s decision to keep the family on the registry.
The family’s request to be removed from the registry was denied.
Following this denial, the family filed a second appeal to the Office of Consumer Relations, an office within DFPS which is tasked with reviewing appeals of this nature.
THSC President Tim Lambert sent a letter to DFPS Commissioner Jamie Masters, urging that the Pardo family be removed from the Child Abuse Registry. The letter was co-signed by a bipartisan coalition of 26 lawmakers and policy leaders.
A months-long battle ensued to have the family removed from the Child Abuse Registry.
Last week, Commissioner Jamie Masters, who was appointed by Governor Abbott the day before the Pardo case was dismissed in 2019, sent an official notice to the Pardo family that their appeal had been granted and they were being removed from the Child Abuse Registry.
Tim Lambert, president of THSC, made the following statement about the case:
“CPS protects thousands of children every year, but they didn’t protect the Pardo family or Drake; they traumatized them. It is unconscionable that the agency would drop all charges against the family but then keep the family on the Child Abuse Registry anyway.
“The agency did the right thing by reversing that decision, removing the Pardos from the registry, and finally giving this innocent family a much-needed respite from this traumatic battle.”
Tim Lambert can be reached for comments on this story by contacting Stephen Howsley.
Contact Stephen Howsley
Stephen.Howsley@thsc.org
469-759-0375
December 15, 2020 — After dismissing all charges against the Pardo family and dropping the high-profile case in December 2019, Child Protective Services (CPS) kept the family on the Child Abuse Registry anyway.
One year later, the agency has finally agreed to remove Ashley and Daniel Pardo from the state’s registry of “child abusers,” a significant victory for the family.
The 2019 story of how Drake Pardo was illegally removed from his home by CPS drew international attention. The video story of Drake’s case went viral on social media, drawing more than 2.5 million views.
The family suffered six months of horrific trauma as they battled CPS for the return of their son.
After Texas Homeschool Coalition (THSC) launched a campaign to defend the family, lawmakers, opinion leaders, advocacy organizations, and tens of thousands of families flocked to their defense.
The Supreme Court of Texas intervened in October 2019 and ordered that Drake be immediately returned home.
In December 2019, CPS dropped all charges against the family and dismissed the case, but then the agency kept the family on the Child Abuse Registry anyway.
Once on the registry, a family’s designation as a “child abuser” stays on their record, shows up on background checks, and can prevent the family from obtaining employment or even volunteering at their child’s school and church activities.
Regardless of whether a family was ever found guilty of abuse or neglect, CPS has the sole authority to place a family on the registry.
As with the Pardos, parents who are completely innocent can be dubbed “child abusers” at the will of CPS and placed on the registry.
In April 2020, legal counsel for the Pardo family filed an official administrative appeal of CPS’s decision to keep the family on the registry.
The family’s request to be removed from the registry was denied.
Following this denial, the family filed a second appeal to the Office of Consumer Relations, an office within DFPS which is tasked with reviewing appeals of this nature.
THSC President Tim Lambert sent a letter to DFPS Commissioner Jamie Masters, urging that the Pardo family be removed from the Child Abuse Registry. The letter was co-signed by a bipartisan coalition of 26 lawmakers and policy leaders.
A months-long battle ensued to have the family removed from the Child Abuse Registry.
Last week, Commissioner Jamie Masters, who was appointed by Governor Abbott the day before the Pardo case was dismissed in 2019, sent an official notice to the Pardo family that their appeal had been granted and they were being removed from the Child Abuse Registry.
Tim Lambert, president of THSC, made the following statement about the case:
“CPS protects thousands of children every year, but they didn’t protect the Pardo family or Drake; they traumatized them. It is unconscionable that the agency would drop all charges against the family but then keep the family on the Child Abuse Registry anyway.
“The agency did the right thing by reversing that decision, removing the Pardos from the registry, and finally giving this innocent family a much-needed respite from this traumatic battle.”
Tim Lambert can be reached for comments on this story by contacting Stephen Howsley.
