ET: Hemerd King hasn’t seen his five children for two years. The New York City government broke up his family due to a string of allegations that, upon basic scrutiny, appear unsubstantiated.
The Epoch Times previously explored the twisted incentives in the systemthat keeps more than 400,000 children in foster homes and shelters, and de facto encourages social workers and administrators to keep families apart.
Homeschooling families like the Kings are especially at risk. The nonprofit Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) has defended thousands of such families that have faced investigations by Child Protective Services (CPS).
“The number of investigations initiated solely because a family has chosen to homeschool has significantly declined over the past 30 years,” the HSLDA says on its website. “However, many innocent families are still wrongly reported.”
The Kings
For the Kings, the nightmare started in December 2015 when a social worker from the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS), the New York City’s CPS agency, came to the door of their apartment.
Hemerd couldn’t believe the ACS would have anything to complain about when it came to his family. He let the worker in and, it appeared, she found everything was in order.
It was not until much later he was told that a building contractor tipped off the ACS, which is required to probe each and every report it receives. In hindsight, Hemerd concluded that the building management was behind the tip-off as a retaliation for his complaints about lacking repairs.
The Kings’ case appeared to follow the pattern of a textbook case of abuse in the CPS system.
“When homeschooling families are reported for abuse or neglect, the allegations often include a mention of school attendance as well as other accusations, and in most cases, they are unfounded,” the HSLDA says. “Unfortunately, allegations are often made by family members, neighbors, or acquaintances who are upset with the family and use the child welfare system for retaliation.”
The case appeared to be over, but just being on the CPS radar is already dangerous.
Neighbor Complaint
In March, Hemerd went to complain to an older lady who lived in the apartment above his. Her washing machine was leaking into his kitchen—a long-known issue, he said.
She didn’t take to his criticism kindly and called police on him, accusing him of threatening her with an ax and a machete, he said.
Hemerd is a 6-foot-4-inch tall bald black man of athletic build. He would have hardly needed a machete to intimidate a 5-foot woman if he really wanted to, which would also run counter to perhaps every aspect of his persona. more here
Your kids belong to the state and don’t you forget it.
CPS is the nastiest, most abusive govt racket there is.
Tragic stories such as the King family’s are infuriatingly commonplace. All the bureaucrats, lawyers, judges, and “service” providers should be in prison.
Home schoolers run circles around government education and they know it.
Also they get paid to remove and place them in foster care.
Pure evil.
This is aggravating.
If you’re going to homeschool, read and memorize everything the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) has on its website for your protection.
Among other things, do not EVER let any government official, and that includes social workers as well as police, into your home without a warrant. And call a lawyer immediately.
“Your kids belong to the state and don’t you forget it.” – Anonymous
That is exactly the attitude of the Soviet State of Washington. Parents are adversaries – at home, in schools, in public meetings, etc. And with families falling apart after 50+ years of Marxist policies, it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy to the State.
I feel bad for that family. This is the kind of stuff Michelle Malkin talks about. Frickin gubmint overreach. Mostly within the county. ugh.
Uhh…what about the hateful lying neighbor? Oh wait, scot free I’m sure.
@Uncle Al – while CPS is for sure bad, justifying their own sorry existence, I contend Welfare Part D is massively worse…had to fund the system using middle class divorced fathers.
Lesson: Stay under the radar of government agencies as much as possible….one slip and you are in the never-ending system that feeds on the unsuspecting.
Now, looking at the ease with which CPS is used as a weapon and abused by bitter, angry people, just think of the ease with which “Red Flag” laws would be used and abused.
This is what happens when busybodies who want the government to tell them when to wipe themselves insist on laws and politicians who will help abuse laws be voted in.
If you live in a slave state like NY, they WILL
treat you like all the other slaves.
“In hindsight, Hemerd concluded that the building management was behind the tip-off as a retaliation for his complaints about lacking repairs.”
Government has become a weapon to use against your enemies.
@Anonymous APRIL 22, 2019 AT 1:59 PM:
Govt was invented to be a weapon, specifically, as the enforcement arm of protection rackets.
Just finished re-reading John Ross’ “Unintended Consequences”. Sounds like the ACS/CPS “workers” (koff!! BS! koff!) need the same BATFE treatment.
ANAO
Govt became a tool to hurt competitors 90 years ago. “Monkey Ward” was fighting Sears tooth + nail 80 years ago. Sears was well connected with FDR (he sure as Hell belongs there!) so to help Sears FDR Did the same thing to Monkey Wqrd that the bad guys here had CPS do. I remember as a kid seeing a pic of soldiers carrying the CEO(Sewell AVery sp?) of Monkey Ward off to jail his office chair. that was the start of the end on Monkey Ward and the beginning of Seras as #!~!#$$
Ronny was 100% right on his SOTU in ’82 “Govt IS the problem!”!@#!~