Matthew’s mental health continued to decline and he was moved to a Juvenile Detention school. Two Clinical Care Evaluations were done on him without Larry and Ann being contacted or consulted in any way. When they received a copy of the first one, they were shocked. They asked their Attorney if they could sue for slander. They had never spoken to or met the therapist that wrote all about them and their son and were crushed to see that the report was full of misleading and untrue information about the family. The next time Larry and Ann appeared in court they learned that the evaluation had been submitted to the judge by the county. While they have since filed an official complaint with the Psychology Board of their state regarding this evaluation, the damage was already done.
Shockingly, after receiving the first evaluation, they discovered that still another evaluation had been done on the family and Matthew without their knowledge or involvement when a social worker let it slip. Larry and Ann requested a copy yet all parties involved refused to provide one. Their attorney had to subpoena a copy and when they finally received the 19-page report they saw that again, it was full of untrue and misleading information about the family and Matthew. They realized Matthew’s accusations against them were continuing to grow and were being written down and made into official reports without any fact-checking by professionals. The county continued to press them in court for forced visitation with at least one of the younger siblings. They were terrorized to know they were at risk for the county to place Matthew back into the home and remove the youngest child (his primary victim) from the home, to be placed in foster care. They were also made aware that if a judge ordered forced visitation that Ann would have to take the siblings for an extended visit to another county in order to protect them. The family had been cleared by CPS investigation. It was found that they had done nothing but love and advocate for Matthew. However, they were living in terror of possible harm not only from him but by the very organizations that were put in place to help them!
Larry and Ann consulted at length with RAD Advocates and with their attorney. When the county asked them to consider voluntarily relinquishing their parental rights of Matthew, they realized it was sadly what they had to do. After nearly ten years of parenting, loving and advocating for their beloved son, they had to sign away their parental rights as a way to protect the rest of the family. They will always grieve the loss of their child, they also fear for his future and the safety of others involved in his life, as he is not receiving the adequate intervention he needs.
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