July 16, 2019
This tragedy should not have happened…
Some of you may not have heard about the horrible tragedy involving the Pardo family in Kaufman County, Texas. Child Protective Services (CPS) violated multiple laws and protocols in removing the four-year-old special needs son of Ashley and Daniel Pardo on June 20.
On July 2 a judge in Kaufman, Texas, shocked the nearly 100 supporters of the family in the courtroom when he ruled that CPS could maintain custody of the child. Here is a summary of what happened in the courtroom and how THSC is responding to thousands who are asking what the next steps are and how they can help the family.
Pardo Case Executive Summary
CPS admitted on the record that:
- They had multiple legal options available to them which they could have pursued other than removing the child, but they intentionally chose not to.
- The event which they claim created an “emergency” that justified the immediate removal of the child was that the family failed to appear at a June 10 meeting with the hospital—a meeting which CPS stated on the record they knew the family was unaware of and which they stated on record they never informed the family about.
- CPS also admitted that they had refused repeatedly to inform the family or their attorney about the accusations against the family. They said this was because the caseworker wanted the attorney to fly to Dallas from Houston so she could inform him face-to-face rather than on the phone. When their attorney refused to allow the caseworker to speak to the family until she complied with the legal requirement to inform him of the accusations, she testified that she considered the family to be “uncooperative” and that this motivated her to not tell the family about the June 10 meeting with the hospital.
- CPS stated on record that the only concerns that justified removal and justify keeping the child now are based on the concerns raised by Dr. Dakil, who filed the original affidavit. This is important because…
- She had never spoken to the family about her concerns before reporting them to CPS. Her concern that prompted her decision to report the family was that they might go to another hospital and trick the hospital into giving them treatment which Children’s Medical Center Dallas did not believe the child needed. Dr. Dakil also admitted on record multiple times that the family had never done anything to indicate that they might attempt this, and in fact that all four times the family had previously sought a second medical opinion, it was in an attempt to avoid giving their son treatment. Dr. Dakil stated on record that she knew her concern was entirely speculative and she reported it to CPS only because it was “possible” for it to happen. She stated that she had not considered the risk urgent, did not request that the child be removed and was surprised by CPS’s decision to remove the child.
- This “risk” is the risk that CPS claims justified their decision for an emergency removal and justifies their request to keep him now.
Well-intentioned observers often dismiss such abuses of power with the thought that “CPS protects children. Mistakes probably don’t happen often.” While CPS protects many children, it is the job of the public to stand in the gap for innocent families when they get swallowed by the system.
CPS now has 12 months to dispose of this case (and could get a six-month extension if the court allows). A vigorous legal defense is being pursued to get the child returned to his family very soon.
A friend who was in the courtroom told me that she had heard about CPS abusing families and traumatizing children, but it was scary and sobering to actually see it take place in a Texas courtroom.
THSC plans to continue to stand by the Pardo family. This shouldn’t happen to any family. Thank you for standing with us as we fight for Keeping Texas Families Free!
Read the full story on the Pardo case and see what you can do to help
July 16, 2019
This tragedy should not have happened…
Some of you may not have heard about the horrible tragedy involving the Pardo family in Kaufman County, Texas. Child Protective Services (CPS) violated multiple laws and protocols in removing the four-year-old special needs son of Ashley and Daniel Pardo on June 20.
On July 2 a judge in Kaufman, Texas, shocked the nearly 100 supporters of the family in the courtroom when he ruled that CPS could maintain custody of the child. Here is a summary of what happened in the courtroom and how THSC is responding to thousands who are asking what the next steps are and how they can help the family.
Pardo Case Executive Summary
CPS admitted on the record that:
- They had multiple legal options available to them which they could have pursued other than removing the child, but they intentionally chose not to.
- The event which they claim created an “emergency” that justified the immediate removal of the child was that the family failed to appear at a June 10 meeting with the hospital—a meeting which CPS stated on the record they knew the family was unaware of and which they stated on record they never informed the family about.
- CPS also admitted that they had refused repeatedly to inform the family or their attorney about the accusations against the family. They said this was because the caseworker wanted the attorney to fly to Dallas from Houston so she could inform him face-to-face rather than on the phone. When their attorney refused to allow the caseworker to speak to the family until she complied with the legal requirement to inform him of the accusations, she testified that she considered the family to be “uncooperative” and that this motivated her to not tell the family about the June 10 meeting with the hospital.
- CPS stated on record that the only concerns that justified removal and justify keeping the child now are based on the concerns raised by Dr. Dakil, who filed the original affidavit. This is important because…
- She had never spoken to the family about her concerns before reporting them to CPS. Her concern that prompted her decision to report the family was that they might go to another hospital and trick the hospital into giving them treatment which Children’s Medical Center Dallas did not believe the child needed. Dr. Dakil also admitted on record multiple times that the family had never done anything to indicate that they might attempt this, and in fact that all four times the family had previously sought a second medical opinion, it was in an attempt to avoid giving their son treatment. Dr. Dakil stated on record that she knew her concern was entirely speculative and she reported it to CPS only because it was “possible” for it to happen. She stated that she had not considered the risk urgent, did not request that the child be removed and was surprised by CPS’s decision to remove the child.
- This “risk” is the risk that CPS claims justified their decision for an emergency removal and justifies their request to keep him now.
Well-intentioned observers often dismiss such abuses of power with the thought that “CPS protects children. Mistakes probably don’t happen often.” While CPS protects many children, it is the job of the public to stand in the gap for innocent families when they get swallowed by the system.
CPS now has 12 months to dispose of this case (and could get a six-month extension if the court allows). A vigorous legal defense is being pursued to get the child returned to his family very soon.
A friend who was in the courtroom told me that she had heard about CPS abusing families and traumatizing children, but it was scary and sobering to actually see it take place in a Texas courtroom.
THSC plans to continue to stand by the Pardo family. This shouldn’t happen to any family. Thank you for standing with us as we fight for Keeping Texas Families Free!
Read the full story on the Pardo case and see what you can do to help
