Missouri
Mistaken identity
A Home School Legal Defense Association member family in Platte County, Missouri, recently returned home to find a card from a social worker on their doorstep. Earlier, an incident involving child abuse had been observed in a local restaurant. A witness at the scene made a mistake and gave the Department of Family Services a wrong license plate number, a number that matched the license plate of the family's van. The family was not involved in the incident; the mother was with the children at a dental appointment while the father was at the bank taking care of business.
Upon calling the social worker, the family was informed of the allegations. The family showed that they were not present at the restaurant that day; however, even in the face of undisputed, credible evidence, the social worker still insisted on performing an "assessment" of the family to determine if they were in need
of any services. Part of the "assessment" was to be separate interviews of each of the children, and the social worker specifically wanted to ask each child individually, "Are there any problems
in your home?" The family refused, stood their ground, and called HSLDA.
HSLDA President J. Michael Smith talked the father and the social worker through this situation. The father exclaimed, "Isn't this America? What about being innocent until proven guilty?" In his conversation with the social worker, Mr. Smith asked her, "If they weren't there, why should you invade the family?"
After his conversation with the social worker, Mr. Smith faxed the social worker a letter and legal memorandum on the Fourth Amendment, with an explanation of the serious penalties that can be levied against government agents who violate a family's civil rights. After receiving the letter and memorandum, the social worker backed down and dropped her demand for an assessment of the family.
- Scott A. Woodruff
Editor's Note: See HSLDA social services contact policy.
