Ohio: CPS Social Worker Fired For Not Following Court Orders
An astute judge, Melba Marsh of the Common Pleas Court in Hamilton County, Ohio, discovered her orders were not being followed by CPS social workers. Last month she wrote a letter to three county commissioners about it. She wanted a child to live with relatives and to have supervised visits with parents, but her orders were ignored for more than four months.
Because of this incident, CPS social worker Angela Harrison was found negligent and fired. She lost a $35,900/yr. job. Her supervisor, Michael Battle, retired from his job which brought him $57,137 annually.
What To Do If Your CPS Social Worker Neglects To Follow Court Orders
In my years of running the Fight CPS website I’ve heard from many people who say their social workers were not following court orders. A common scenario is that a judge orders a list of services - such as counseling, psychological testing, and parenting classes. Many CPS social workers drag their feet in getting these services started. Then, when they go back to court after six months they can say, “The parent has not complied with services.” Though technically it is the caseworker’s fault for not getting services started, the parents are blamed for not having had enough services to earn the right to have their children home again.
If your caseworker is playing this game, be sure to keep good records of all contacts with the CPS social worker, write letters requesting that the services be started immediately, and phone the social worker every couple of days until you get what you need. By keeping good phone records and copies of your letters you may be able to use this documentation in court to show your judge that it is your caseworker’s error, not yours. Remember, good documentation is essential to fighting a CPS case in court.
If need be, you can file an Administrative Hearing Request with your state department of social services, telling them that your CPS social worker isn’t providing services ordered by the judge. You have the right to this “Fair Hearing” process any time you’re dealing with an agency in the USA. If you request a hearing, an Administrative Law Judge from the state offices will go to your county to meet with you and CPS employees to review the case and make a decision about your complaints. I have done this several times as a representative for parents, and found it to be an effective way to get a case back on track when the caseworkers are doing their own thing and making families suffer because of it.
The Importance of Child Protection
According to an article about the Ohio CPS social worker firing, posted at Enquirer.Com, a Hamilton County administrator, Patrick Thompson, said, “It is imperative we send a message that this county will not stand for neglect of duty and that child protection is of the utmost importance to our Job and Family Services Department.”
I too believe child protection is of the utmost importance. And I believe one thing we need to protect our children from is institutional child abuse perpetrated by the child welfare industry. Children forced into a life of suffering in foster homes when they yearn for their parents, grandparents, and siblings; children forced to take drugs to control their tantrums and traumatization brought on by the legal destruction of their families; children forced into mental hospitals because foster care providers can’t handle them; children abused in foster homes; - this is the kind of institutional child abuse that Fight CPS is concerned about.
In most cases, children are better off at home where they are loved and cared about. Leave foster homes for those few children with no relatives who can care for them, who have been severely physically abused. Every other case of family destruction is abusive.
Source: Caseworker, boss out of jobs; Actions follow judge’s criticism by Kimball Perry for the Enquirer.
Well, I have two words to sum this story up:
“About time”.
I hope by this example, the other Workers will heed this warning not to overstep the Law. Everyone follows the Law, so should the Workers should do the same. Period.
Comment by Frustrated — August 5, 2007 @ 6:38 pm
Just as D. X. Yue stated “Ultimately, the law is only as good as the judge” — D.X. Yue, 2005, in “law, reason and judicial fraud”
http://www.parentalrightsandjustice.com/index.cgi?ctype=Page;site_id=1;objid=45;curloc=Site:1
D. X. Yue is a relative to the He case.
Comment by Ruth — August 5, 2007 @ 7:58 pm
OK THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED ON MY CASE WITH MY SON THE JUDGE GAVE ME THINGS TO FOLLLOW ON A CASE PLAN I COMPLEATED ALL OF IT BUT THE CPS WORKER WENT BEHIND THE JUDGES BACK AND MADE MORE THINGS FOR ME TO DUE AND WHEN I DID THEM NOTHING EVER MADE HER HAPPY SO SHE SAID I NEVER BENIFITED FROM THE CLASSES SHE WANTED ME TO DUE SO THEN I SHE WENT TO COURT AND STATED THAT I DIDNT EXCEPT THE HELP THEY WERE TRYING TO PROVIDE
Comment by LISA — August 5, 2007 @ 8:45 pm
I have seen CPS Workers talking to Crown Attorneys/Prosecutors, even the Judges themselves in the hall ways, or even in Judge’s chambers, or at lunch time. I have seen them outside talking with lawyers and whatever. I guess that it helps the Workers when they have the Judges in their pockets and go against the families in general. This kind of injustice must stop and it is hurting many families because of this corrupt action by talking behind closed doors.
Comment by Frustrated — August 6, 2007 @ 11:47 am
its about time.in my case so far Im dealing with a case worker who Im pretty sure is not a certified case worker-no degree,i know for a fact that she is outsourced,her boss cant speak english.I kinda had a meditation.Im trying to get some things down but its crazy,my last parting class is this wedsday,took a court ordered psych eval.only for the case worker to try and say that wasent a psych eval.Im trying to get some things down and the case worker is trying to play games,Im very angry about this.I dont know what to do next.
Comment by rachel — August 6, 2007 @ 11:48 am
Its about time the law puts CPS in thier place!!! I hope more judges and people who work for the law not be blinded by money and lies, and put these family shedders in thier place!!!!
Comment by ROSE — August 6, 2007 @ 12:15 pm
This article makes me elated!!!! It is a tragic thing for any family to end up with TPR (67,000 of them last year), and the majority are based on “parent’s failure to comply with court ordered case plan”.
I took to e-mailing CPS. So much so, that they blocked my IP! (I got them to unblock it), This way, you create a paper trail of requests, etc.
Comment by K. — August 8, 2007 @ 9:50 am
All I do is keep records of everything - class completion certificates, conversation records, etc. Then I give copies to our attorneys. We are not being antagonistic with anyone from the agency, so we are making headway. It’s just slow because of the case load.
Comment by Amy — August 10, 2007 @ 7:37 am
How about this one, I had my case over turned on
JULY 12th 2006-
It was substainciated on
OCTOBER 17th 200, I’ve been erased out of thier lives since
SEPTEMBER 2002
and I CANOT get a judge to even hear the new evidence. I have filed a lawsuit against ACS aka CPS for malicious prosecution and negligent misrepresentation - filed the Notice of Claim- had the (50h) hearing, told thier lawyer that I do NOT have my children back and it’s been
NINE months
since that hearing and NOT ONE WORD- We filed the actual lawsuit on February 23 2007-
in total it has been in oct ober of this year it will be a
TOTAL OF SIX YEARS-
Nothing no visitation no Medical info no school info not even a phone call! But it took that wench all of 10 min to fraudulently take my kids and hand them over to their apparently politically connceted father!
I can’t wait for that trial- settle my azz!
Comment by Louise — September 9, 2007 @ 12:05 am
Somebody please give me some info. I have just spent my 5th xmas alone. My kids were taken Mothers Day 2003. The worker was not going to take my kids until my mother and mother in law found out they could use this to get control of their grandchildren. There is no love lost with those bitches. My case plan has been complete since 7/2004. and they keep putting more task at each judicial review even though my plan has always been complete. I get no visitation or communication with children because bitches know I know its them and they don’t want me to show the evidence to them. I have forwarded to judge over and over again my completed tasks. Anyway, Im going through all my paperwork to see if I missed something. My daughter has been through hell and back and she was my middle one both grandmothers gave her back to the state of florida because she only wanted to come back to Mama like the other too. So they couldn’t allow that and Sissy has been in 2 group homes and a different culture foster home and they always move my children behind my back. My damn plan is complete and all I do is cry for my kids and now I find that they transferred my daughter back to my mother as a theraputic foster care parent. They put on the letter both parents executed surrenders of their parental rights on 1-18.2006.OH GOD SOMEBODY HELP ME PLEASE. and then at the end it says mother has not completed goal opf case plan in 12 months, but it still has reunification checked. WHAT THE FUCK DOES THAT MEAN? They have played with me and played with me and I have felt every emotion of the grieving process I can think anymore. How could these bitches do this. And the social workers, how do they get up and go to work everyday? Can anyone tell me if I lost my parental rights of my daughter?
Comment by natzeenot — December 30, 2007 @ 6:37 pm
im going thow this rigth now my caseworker is stoping all roads to let me get thing done. I tell my lawyer and she see it but nothings getting done if someone is out there please help let me know of ways i can go about this i’m very glad i found this website i just wish i had it sooner thanks for hearing me
Comment by tanya hernandez — February 4, 2008 @ 9:23 pm
My social worker, court atty, and all involved, hid guardianship hearings from, lied about them. Called the supervisor, who I told that all 4 of my kids could not have same atty due to conflict of interest. Was told that hearing would be postponed indefinately, and that she would notify me of next hearing.
This was the day of a hearing. They lied and then did all to stop me from reading and committing on the lies and manipulations of the system they were using.
I finally found out the truth when I marsden motioned my atty. Listind all the rights violations of all previous 2 social workers.
Still have not had visitation with my children in the guardianship, who are living with them even though they have lost their foster care license due to abuse of my children as well as others.
Court wants my atty to file papers to place guardianship under the auspices of court due to them continuing to receive fed toster care funds.
I will have to file paperwork myself, since all attys are in conflict due to a contracted law firm being the contractor responsible for recieving county funds and making payments to all parties court appt attys.
Will continue to show the Superior Court Judge who is not corrupt, but has watched the lies, abuse of my rights, etc for the past 5 years.
Comment by shelley wagner — April 13, 2008 @ 2:42 pm
I too know all too well what the sneaky social workers do , use our government money to get even with people who stand up to them to fight to keep their children and grandchildren ! they should be held accountable for their actions!
Comment by Dianne Trenkle — June 18, 2008 @ 5:10 pm
someone should get the news to do an undercover story on them. i dont understand how you can be accused of breaking your wifes arm , leaving her with a black eyes and a broken jaw, going to court 3 days later because someone called saying we were fighting while i was at work to still say that the accusations the cps are true when the judge can see there is nothing wrong . if it was a real court, this would get dismissed on the spot, and has anyone seen the notice. what is up with this referee. if you have proof, sue the bitch that took your kids for making a false report.this shit has to be stop somehow . there arresting our kids for no reason.
Comment by tim — June 19, 2008 @ 3:53 am
u think we could file a civil suit and present your case to a real judge?
Comment by tim — June 19, 2008 @ 4:01 am
the social workers that made shore they got my grandkids are now fired. im going to the apelles court in about a month. will it do any good i dont know. its been 4 years and this will be the last time. ive spent 20,000. dollars on lawyers and the courtsonly side with social workers. never mind what it does to the children or family.
Comment by CHARLENE — July 10, 2008 @ 8:42 am
Wow, it just goes on and on. I call it the On and On Program! I am disgusted, disgruntled and basically have put on my warrior gear and am fully engaged in battle with the Department here in Alberta. Same stuff is going on here. I am advocating for several families who are being torn apart. I go to family court helping a young Dad of 4 girls, and outside the courtroom I ask questions of the parents sitting looking abused and hopeless.
Does anyone know anyone in Canada that I can connect with to form a strong group here? We have formed a parent support group here where I live but I would like to meet other people in Canada and connect with them.
I am grateful for this site. I get lots of encouragement and validation here.
Thanks! Love you and God bless you all abundantly and protect you and your loved ones!
Comment by Sunny - Happy Granny of 4 Angels — August 9, 2008 @ 3:54 am
We were scum and the lying CPS worker was so sure she could skewer us. We had enough witnesses that made us cut it short - we took only about 20 of the many who volunteered.
We came out looking the people we are - decent and not perfect. We needed to be perfect - or at least I did to please the CPS psycho.
I am in Cincinnati and wish more judges were like Melba Moore. Although, we do know our magistrate really read the riot act to the CPS worker. She looked like a fool by the end of the trial. Although, I still had to be supervised in my care of the child I had been trying to get therapy for.
Sigh! It shouldn’t be this way,
Denise
Comment by Denise — September 7, 2008 @ 8:28 pm
I have 2 kids. On august 19.2008. cps & 2 police officer took both of my kids they did not take any of my family imformation. the told me to my face that my kids are going to a foster have. i dont know what are my rights they did not show me any kind of court order removeal. im feeling very bad cause i dont know my rights i need a lot of help. i was told to get a police report. they never gave me any kind of papers. i dont know what to think. i live in canton ohio i need help e- mail me kindnessohio@att.net what are the ohio laws & rights we all need to fight cps to stop them for taking kids & putting them in foster home the reson why they are putting so many kids in foster homes is because they want them foster parents to get a income on all of are kids thats we need to stop cps like right there not tryin to keep family togeter. i will like start a group here in canton ohio. i would like a of family to get to so we can all fight cps
Comment by kindness — October 18, 2008 @ 7:56 pm
Kindness - I just emailed you … I hope you got it.
Comment by Linda — October 22, 2008 @ 4:55 pm
im still fighting to get my kids back from cps im hurt cause i only get to see my kids only for a hour one a week. im tryin to get me good lawyer can anyone tell who should call to get a good lawyer i need a lawyer will fight cps, they have done so much wrong they need to stop wrong now everything is still the same i was missed treated when i was in a foster home they never did anything about why would they want to give familys a hard time when thing happen in foster they dont foster parents a hard time im tryin to stop cps i called the newspaper m waiting to here back from them i called 19 action news i did not here from them yet im going to tell my story & let everyone knows how children services is im going to keep on fighting until somethin is done about cps im not givin up i have a story to tell i would like to hear from other familys we need to start a here in canton ohio to help famlys that dont know what to do when cps take there kids im still looking for move help i dont not know what kind of removal they did i started telling people that my kids had been takin away from me they started asking me did they show me court order removal i told them no they never showed me anything they never gave me no papers or me what kind of they was doin i found on line what kind of removal they did they did a emergency removal thin was wrong with my kids they was not hurt in any kind of way i dont know why they did that the police was there i went to the police station to get a report there was no report wrote how they are aloud to take my kids on a emergency & dont make out a report thats why i need me a good lawyer they had my kids every since august 19,2008 never did know what removal they did the only thing that i knew is that are in a foster i had to fine this imformation on line about the removal please help find a good lawyer that wii fight cps LETS ALL STOP CPS RIGHT NOW FROM TAKIN AWAY KIDS PUTTING THEM IN FOSTER HOMES LETTING FOSTER PARENTS GET PAY FOR TAKIN OUR KIDS THEY ARE TRYIN TO KEEP FOSTER HOMES GOING SO FOSTER PARENTS CAN ON GETTING PAID. ALL FAMILYS HELP FIGHT CPS THERE NOT TRYIN TO KEEP OUR KIDS AT HOME THE FOSTER PARENTS IN THERE HOMES SO THEY CAN GET MONEY THAT IS NOT GOOD WHAT ALL IMFORMATION DO I NEED TO GET CPS WONT GIVE ME NO IMFORMAION CAN I GO TO COURT HOUSE TO GET IMFORMATION I STILL DONT ABOUT MY RIGHT CAN SOME PLEASE HELP ME LINDA I DID NOT GET YOUR E-MAIL YOU SENT ME YET IF YOU GIVE YOU E-MAIL I WILL SEND YOU A E MAIL I LIVE HERE IN CANTON OHIO IM NOT GOING TO GET ME A LAWYER FROM AROUND HERE I WANT A FROM A DIFFERENT PLACE DONT GIVE UP LETS KEEP ON FIGHTING CPS UNTIL THERE IS NO MORE CPS PLEASE E-MAIL THANKS
Comment by kindness — October 25, 2008 @ 12:47 am
Kindness ( Ohio)
http://www.familyrights.us
Go to the Ohio Page under :
Site Contents
Members & Friends
There is a person in Ohio who might be able to help you onto the right track.
Best. F.
Comment by Fern — October 25, 2008 @ 9:29 am
My broth’s wife took there son and she left. He want to get him back soon. the mother hits her child and the dad is worryed what should he do.
Comment by Amanda — November 14, 2008 @ 9:13 am
After my children were in foster care for two years while the Social worker was getting a promotion and telling me she was trying to get my kids back with me,I had completed EVERTHING they had aske me t do, and they continued to ad more to m “Tasks” to have them retuned, Than they lied and said they had NEVER told me that my children would be returned to me once I completed these “tasks”!! She, and her subbordant,actually got the Judge to give my abuive ex-husband full custody of my kids, and even with me calling,writting ad e-mailing them to et my chldren back with me I just found out last week that the CPS workers and Juge had givin him cusody ove 18 months ago wit out informig me!!!!!
Comment by Jimi Lynn Coleman — December 29, 2008 @ 1:56 pm
Here in Northern CA., County of
Sickyou matters under the purview
of the Superior Court Juvenile Div.,
that is, the majority of CPS cases,
are not eligible for Administrative
Review. I have attempted to
force an administrative Review
“All the way to the Capital” and
have the written denial for the
reason stated.
Miss take Linda?
marilyn.
Comment by Trevino — April 12, 2009 @ 4:50 am
Please do not ever water their behavior down by calling it the “On and On Program”.
Call it what it does. It’s a “Federally Funded Kidnapping Program”.
How many of you out there have been dragged into Court “without” any findings of either abuse or neglect?
The social workers are like any other street prostitute. If the parents would start exercising their control over them, most parents would find that social workers respond to assertiveness.
There are differences between being rude, disrespectful, obnoxious, assertive, cold, ect, ect… They expect mothers to react based on the “maternal response” - the defensive role mother assume automatically in most situations. So, what role do social workers expect us dads to play? A: They don’t…we are still subject to study throughout America. Actually they cannot accurately predict “how” a father will respond in their little game of emotional control. And this is a father’s advantage. Take it from me. If the moms think they are being driven “bananas” and no one hears them. I am a father that is being dragged through the mud. But, my clothes are never as dirty as theirs whenever we tussle in the mud slinging contests! They shoot - I evade - then fire back! And that is warfare in it’s simplest form. DO NOT keep a defensive posture when dealing with CPS in ANY confrontation - YOU will invite the enemy to assault you greater in the next rounds to come. And NEVER worry about what the enemy is going to do to you - think about what you will do to them! REMEMBER: it’s all about controlling that court record! Here’s a example from my case.
All to show you how WEAK AND PATHETIC these case workers are in court.
Judge; Did you go for your drug assessment?
Dad; Yes your honor. But that case according to the Director was closed because all I was doing was an intake. based on their assessment, my case is closed.
Judge; Well until I have a letter or something I’m ordering you to go.
Dad; Ms. P. told me she sent my closure form to the case worker, after that “it” disappeared!!!! What happened to it?
The judge peers down at the case worker because they all “know” exactly what these case workers do.
It’s a role playing game where people that are kid-jacking our babies play “on-record”- behind the scenes they sleep with each others wive and husbands, smoke crack together, get drunk and ever thing else THEY ACCUSE US OF DOING. They are weak to logical positions…truth flows naturally from logic. And it’s the truth that defends your children from this horror. And the case worker looked at her lawyer for those cues of how to respond to my question…there was none of course.
When the accuse you of not following the case plan. Ask them to simply; Well if that’s the case - what does the case plan say??? This will shut them up quick! If it’s not in the case plan “legally” you don’t have to comply. These are street thug tactics. They use these tactics because these are “mostly” street people you deal with. This is the primary reason being civilized with these people fails “most” of the time. I was told this by CPS Management in my case. So, all they see is fangs, and I make as many “dirty” behind their back calls as possible! That is what they do - isn’t it written “do unto others as you would have them do unto you”?
Comment by NAPALMFACE — April 12, 2009 @ 6:32 am
Marilyn… I would love to publish your documentation!!!
Comment by LindaJoMartin — April 12, 2009 @ 11:27 am
Napalmface:
You are a powerful, convincing writer.
Comment by Fern — April 12, 2009 @ 1:37 pm
What happened to me was this: the crooked little dorky worker told me I could find a credentialed psychologist/psychiatrist/whatever (had to be state licensed) to give that circa $700 psych exam, “and call Mary the secretary to get the okay for payment.” I was so astonished to find out that Mary did not bother to return the calls of the providers who called, (or even note that they called)and to have to listen in court to the supervisor who told the judge, “We don’t do things that way. We have a list of providers and we choose who administers the test.”
Sneaky, snaky.
I paid into the system for years, same as my ancestors, until I became too ill to work, and it uses my money against me–and all of us. I apologize to everyone who has been hurt by my tax payments!!!
Comment by Sharon P. — July 2, 2009 @ 11:36 am