Story – The Termination Of Parental Rights

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Author's Note: We are much closer to the reality presented in this story than most people realize.

Definitions:

Grounds for Termination of Parental Rights

The parent is unwilling or unable to eliminate the harm facing the child or is unable or unwilling to provide a safe and stable home for the child and the delay of permanent placement will add to the harm.

White Cane

A tool that many who are blind or visually impaired rely on to navigate their surroundings.

“What do you mean you saw my daughter Jeannie wearing eye patches and using a blind person’s cane walking in the hallway at school today?”

Mrs. Jenkins, Jeannie's mother, and Mrs Wilson from down the block, were having a conversation waiting at the bus stop. Both of their daughters were in the seventh grade.

Mrs. Wilson said: “Yes I went to drop off a book for Timmy this morning and I saw your daughter walking in the hallway pretending to be a blind person.”

Just then, the bus arrived and Jeannie got off and got in her mother's car.

Of course Jeannie's mom politely asked: “Jeannie, are you involved in some kind of drama club at school?

Jeannie looked confused and giggled and said: “No mom.” and said no more.

Mrs. Jenkins: “Then why were you wearing eye patches and using a white cane in school today.”

Jeannie: “My teachers told me, if you or dad asked about this, to tell you that this is none of your business.”

Mrs. Jenkins immediately went to the school and stormed into the principal's office.

She confronted the principal and said: “Are you allowing my daughter to act as if she is blind during school hours? Did you know she is wearing two eye patches and using a white cane?”

The principal said, “That's privileged information Mrs. Jenkins. We have to respect your daughter's privacy. I am not at liberty to discuss this with you. Everyone here, all the faculty and fellow students, are assisting her with her transition. It really has been a unifying project for our community. Mr. Murphy has been guiding her through this from the beginning. He has become her school dad.”

Mr. Murphy was really the former Ms. Murphy, a biological female teacher who had fully transitioned to live as a man. She had had her gender affirming surgeries, both facial and genital, and her birth certificate and driver’s license both reflected that she was now a male legally.

Mrs. Jenkins said: “Her transition?! What the fuck are you talking about? Transition to what? A blind person? Why wasn’t I made aware of this mental breakdown my daughter is experiencing?”

The principal restated again: “I'm not at Liberty to discuss this with you. When children don’t feel safe discussing their identity at home, it is the school and state's job to step in and take over. We are acting as her parents now in this matter.

During this most delicate time, Jeannie needs our support, and will especially need it after her transition surgery. Please don’t attempt to get in the way. She is doing so well now. I suggest you and your husband seek out a parenting coach or therapist. They may be able to help you rebuild the relationship with your daughter that has been lost. But, at this point, it may be too late.

And we don’t allow hate speech, such as words like mental breakdown, in this institution.”

Mrs. Jenkins stormed out of the school and called her husband who immediately came home from work.

We find ourselves at the kitchen table with Mr. and Mrs. Jenkins and Jeannie discussing the events of the day.

Jeannie: “Mom and Dad, all of our teachers told us at the start of the school year that if we're not comfortable talking to our parents about anything, that we should be talking to them instead. They told me that I was living in a toxic and abusive environment and that sometimes parents don't understand their kids and that teachers can always understand us much better as they spend so much more time with us.

I knew you would never appreciate that I was born in the wrong body. Mr. Murphy told me that you would force me into therapy of some kind and tell me that I have body dysmorphic disorder or say I had a mental breakdown. He taught me that is a form of child abuse.

So, I don't want to talk about my transition. The teachers at school will be helping me through this and they told me to tell you that you need to respect my privacy."

Mr. & Mrs. Jenkins looked at each other and almost laughed at how insane this conversation was.

Mrs. Jenkins said: “You won't be going back to that school tomorrow or ever.”

So that evening Mr. and Mrs. Jenkins did all the research that they needed to begin homeschooling their daughter.

They alerted the school via email that their daughter would no longer be enrolled there and to send her academic records to their home as Jeannie's parents would now be her teachers.

They found a therapist for Jeannie. They started a lawsuit against the school, the principal and the former Ms. Murphy.

Three weeks into homeschooling, the former Ms. Murphy was knocking on their door.

Behind her was a large entourage of people from the local and state police, DYFS, Child and Family Services, the school faculty and the Board of Education.

Behind them, on the lawn, in the street, and down the sidewalks, were hundreds of Jeannie’s fellow students, holding signs that said:

“Abolish Hate”

“Child Abusers Must Be Punished!”

“Trans Rights Are Human Rights!” and

“Lock Up The Haters!”.

The most prevalent sign though was “Blind Phobia Is Real! Don’t Be A Blind Bigot! Save Jeannie!”

With the door slightly ajar Mr. Jenkins said “How can I help you?"

The former Ms. Murphy said, loudly and with great pride:

“I am here to remove my daughter from this house!”

Mr. Jenkins said “What the fuck are you talking about?”

The chief of police came forward and spoke:

“The state found sufficient grounds for the termination of your parental rights, and they have been terminated.

For your own edification, the statute's wording is as follows

It is beyond doubt to everyone that this is an airtight case. You don’t provide a safe and stable home for Jeannie.

Your denying your daughter's desire to transition to her correct body and identity is a form of child abuse.

Mr. Murphy has been granted temporary guardianship. If you don’t present your daughter immediately to Mr. Murphy, you will be arrested for kidnapping.”

Mr. Jenkins closed the door and called his attorney who headed over to the house.

He called 911. When he asked the 911 operator for help, she said:

“The police are already at your residence effecting the removal of a child named Jeannie. Is she there? Can you ask her to come out the front door? A Mr. Murphy is there to pick her up. He has been granted temporary custody of her.

Is there anything else I can help you with?”

Mr. Jenkins ended the call.

The attorney arrived and reviewed the paperwork with the Chief of Police.

He then came inside.

The attorney said:

“Unfortunately the paperwork looks to be in good order. They will remove your daughter from the house by force if necessary.

If a parent tries to stop or hinder a child pursuing what they believe to be their true body, gender or sexual identity, this is deemed a form of child abuse and their home is no longer a safe place. As in other child abuse situations, the child is removed from the home and put into the foster care system and a temporary guardian is appointed and given parental rights.”

Jeannie knew this was going to happen today as she and the former Ms. Murphy had planned for this eventuality months ago. They had been in constant contact.

She came downstairs with a suitcase already packed and said to her parents:

“I wish you had supported me, I wish you truly loved me for who I am and who I know I need to become.

I need to go live with people who have my best interest at heart and I know that Mr. Murphy and my teachers and fellow students do.

I'm going to live with Mr. Murphy, my math teacher. He is a trans man. Over the past year I've gotten very close to him. I know that he truly gets me and understands what I'm going through. He’s going to help me get transition surgery where my eyes will be removed and I can then live as the non-sighted person and in the body that I know God meant for me to have. He has agreed to legally adopt me. Mr. Murphy told me you would be blind-phobic.”

Mrs. Jenkins passed out and collapsed on the floor in the foyer.

Mr. Jenkins would not unlock the door so eventually it was knocked down and Jeannie casually walked over it with a smug grin on her face into the loving embrace of her school dad, the former Ms. Murphy.

The Chief of Police said: “If you attempt to contact Jeannie, you will be arrested for harassment.”

He handed Mr. Jenkins a restraining order.

Over the next two years, the Jenkins fought the good fight in the state and federal courts.

They had no contact with their daughter they had raised for fourteen of her sixteen years.

They tried to force Jeannie into therapy through the courts. They sued the teacher, the school, the chief of police, etc.

They were both charged with assault of a minor and convicted. As words and court filings now were given the same weight as physically violent acts in the courts.

During those two years they were arrested for harassment and stalking when they hired private detectives to find where their daughter was living. They, and the private detectives, served 30 days in the county jail and were not allowed to post bond.

The court cases dragged on and the parents had absolutely no contact with their daughter who was now living with her adoptive father, the former Ms. Murphy.

Two years and 4 days from the day their daughter walked out of their home and into the arms of former Ms. Murphy, the Jenkins are attending the last day of their last court case.

They are bankrupt, and have divorced. Divorce comes often when a child is lost.

Suddenly there is silence in the courtroom and everyone’s head turns towards the back of the room.

The center of all this drama has entered the court.

It's Jeannie Murphy!

She is standing in the doorway, white cane in her right hand, eye patches over both eyes, with her left elbow cupped in Mr. Murphy’s right hand.

Her parents break down and sob uncontrollably. They have failed their daughter and the state has failed their family.

Jeannie speaks:

“Mom and Dad, are you here?”

The former Ms. Murphy says: “Yes my love, they are twenty feet in front of you.”

Jeannie: “I'm happy now. I have the body, last name, and the father that God intended me to have. I hope that we can be a family again.

I came today out of love for both of you so you can stop this attack on me in the court system. I would hate to send you back to jail.”

Mr. and Mrs. Jenkins both noticed the engagement ring on her finger at the same time.

Jeannie continued: “We are in love and are engaged to be married. We both would love it if you would attend our services. I will leave my number with the court clerk. I have temporarily removed the restraining order.”

With that, the future Mr. and Mrs. former Ms. Murphy left the courtroom.