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Outrageous: Iraqi Vet Has Parental Rights Terminated Because Stepdad Abused His Son While He Was Overseas
A veteran of the Iraq war has had his parental rights terminated despite having in no way wronged his child or the mother.
Edward Glover served in the U.S. armed services and was deployed to Iraq. His wife, Michelle, gave birth to a child, E.G., in November of 2008. While Edward was serving abroad, Michelle took up with one Maliki Raheem, who had a history of domestic violence. In April, 2009, it came to the attention of the Arkansas Department of Human Services that E.G. had been severely abused by Raheem.
Edward Glover obtained emergency leave and returned home, but was sent back to Iraq 10 days later. Glover remained deployed oversees while legal proceedings played out. The ADHS took E.G. into foster care and eventually succeeded in terminating Michelle's parental rights.
The trial court, at the request of ADHS, terminated Glover's parental rights. The Court of Appeals affirmed the ruling.
How is it possible for a father without a single black mark to entirely lose his rights to a child, born during his marriage and therefore presumptively his? Apparently the reason the trial judge terminated Glover's rights is that he didn't follow the court's orders to avail himself of certain ADHS "services."
Glover was nowhere near Arkansas and therefore could not be "served" by ADHS. More importantly, the "services" ordered were clearly aimed at a parent who has abused his/her child, including anger management classes, random drug screens, "refrain from criminal or illegal activity," etc.
The state agency and four separate judges couldn't quite grasp the fact that the father hadn't abused the child.
Read more here.
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