Case Title: K.G. v. Dept. of Social & Rehabilitation Services

Citation: 171 Vt. 529, 758 A.2d 323

Docket Number: 

State: vermont

Court: Vermont Supreme Court

Date: 2000-07-19T00:00:00Z

Document:
K.G. v. Dept. of Social & Rehabilitation Services (99-346); 171 Vt. 529;
758 A.2d 323 

[Filed 19-Jul-2000]

                                 ENTRY ORDER

                       SUPREME COURT DOCKET NO. 99-346

                               JUNE TERM, 2000

K.G.	                               }	APPEALED FROM:
                                       }
                                       }
     v.	                               }	Human Services Board
                                       }	
Department of Social &	               }
Rehabilitation Services	               }	DOCKET NO. Fair Hearing 15,747

             In the above-entitled cause, the Clerk will enter:

       The Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services (SRS) appeals
  from an order of the  Human Services Board (Board) expunging K.G.'s name
  from the child abuse registry maintained by  SRS pursuant to 33 V.S.A. §
  4916(a).  SRS argues that the facts of this case constitute abuse as a 
  matter of law.  We disagree and affirm the Board's order.

       SRS received a complaint about a possible instance of abuse involving
  K.G. and her nine-year-old son.  In its investigation, SRS found the
  following facts.  K.G., her son, and her boyfriend  attended a sporting
  event at which K.G. and her boyfriend consumed some alcoholic beverages.  
  K.G.'s boyfriend drove her and her son to the event, but on the way home,
  with K.G.'s consent, the  boyfriend permitted her son to sit in his lap and
  operate the automobile.  As a result, the son was  seated in the car
  unrestrained and dangerously close to the driver-side air bag and
  windshield.  In this  way, they proceeded over back dirt roads, but were
  stopped when they pulled on to a main paved  road and were observed moving
  very slowly and swerving.  The boyfriend was subsequently charged  with and
  convicted of driving while intoxicated as a result of this incident.  K.G.
  was charged with  child endangerment, but the charges were dropped.  During
  the investigation, K.G. defended the  practice of teaching her son how to
  drive in an adult operator's lap, but agreed not to allow it in the 
  future.  

       SRS found that these facts substantiated the allegation of abuse, and
  listed K.G.'s name in the  child-abuse registry.  See 33 V.S.A. §4916(a). 
  K.G. appealed, and the Board accepted the findings,  but decided that the
  registry listing should be expunged.  See 3 V.S.A. §3091(a); 33 V.S.A. 
  §4916(h).  SRS appealed to this Court.

       Under the statutory scheme, when a person appeals an SRS decision to
  list the person in the  child abuse registry, the Board receives evidence
  and reviews the SRS decision de novo.  See In re  Bushey-Combs, 160 Vt.
  326, 328-29,