Maryland
Social Workers Threaten Families
When a Maryland toddler climbed into a bathroom sink and turned on the hot water taps, he and his parents wound up in the emergency room where he was treated for second-degree burns. Hospital officials immediately filed an allegation of abuse, since this kind of injury is sometimes caused on purpose. The parents called Home School Legal Defense Association from the emergency room, where attorney Scott Somerville took over. Mr. Somerville called the babysitter, who allowed a police officer to come in to the home to inspect the bathroom area and the sink to verify that the injury had indeed been accidental. When the police officer wanted to interrogate all children as part of a routine child abuse “protocol,” attorney Somerville informed the officer that her consent to enter the home was hereby revoked and asked her to leave. The officer did so, but came back 10 days later with a social worker.
When the social worker and police officer arrived at the porch, the mother promptly called HSLDA again. Scott Somerville explained to the social worker that the family had already provided sufficient evidence to document that the injury was accidental, and therefore the matter should not be treated as an allegation of abuse. The social worker said, “You don’t understand,” and tried to explain that Maryland has a system of mandatory reporting, and that once a report of possible abuse has been filed, social workers “must” follow a certain protocol to do their jobs.
HSLDA understands this protocol better than many social workers do, since we process about one Child Protective Services investigation call per day. In this case, the attorney politely but firmly insisted that the family had provided enough information to demonstrate that any charges of abuse were unfounded. We expect this case to be resolved shortly.
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Maryland
Admitted to statehood:
April 28, 1788
Origin of name:
For Queen Henrietta Maria, wife of Charles I of England.
Motto:
Fatti Maschii, Parole Femine—Manly deeds, womanly words.
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