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Cite as 2022 Ark. App. 356

ARKANSAS COURT OF APPEALS

DIVISION II

No. CV-22-163

SHEILA KING

APPELLANT

V.

ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF 

HUMAN SERVICES AND MINOR 

CHILDREN

APPELLEES

Opinion Delivered September 28, 2022

APPEAL FROM THE SEBASTIAN

COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT, 

FORT SMITH DISTRICT

[NO. 66FJV-20-160]

HONORABLE LEIGH ZUERKER,

JUDGE

AFFIRMED

BRANDON J. HARRISON, Chief Judge

Sheila King appeals the termination of her parental rights to her three children. She 

asserts that the expert witness provided by the Arkansas Department of Human Services 

(DHS) did not provide the requisite testimony pursuant to the Indian Child Welfare Act 

(ICWA); that it was a conflict of interest for DHS to offer one of its own employees as the 

ICWA expert; and that the circuit court’s failure to ensure compliance with ICWA has put 

the children’s permanency at risk, rendering termination not in the children’s best interest. 

We affirm. 

On 23 April 2020, DHS petitioned for emergency custody of King’s three adopted 

children: PK, age 15; JK, age 8; and RK, age 7.1

 The attached affidavit explained that DHS 

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The children’s adoptive father, Jacob King, was incarcerated at the time of removal. 

He relinquished his parental rights in September 2020 and is not a party to this appeal. 
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had exercised an emergency seventy-two-hour hold on the children after responding to a 

hotline call alleging abuse, neglect, and pornography exposure. DHS discovered that the 

children had been living with a sex offender (King’s adult son, Brian Trowbridge) and that 

the home had no food, no hot water, and no air conditioning.2

 The affidavit noted the case 

worker’s belief that the ICWA did not apply to the petition. 

The circuit court granted emergency custody to DHS and later found probable cause 

to continue custody with DHS. In July 2020, the circuit court adjudicated the children 

dependent-neglected “based on parental unfitness due to the mother’s drug abuse.” The 

court reviewed the case in October 2020 and found that King had partially complied with 

the case plan, but in May 2021, the court changed the goal of the case to adoption following 

termination. 

DHS petitioned to terminate King’s parental rights in July 2021. From the record, 

it appears that in September 2021, King alleged for the first time that the children are eligible 

for membership in the Choctaw Nation through their biological mother. Consequently, 

DHS notified the Choctaw Nation and requested that it confirm the Indian status of the 

children. In response, the Choctaw Nation Department of Children and Family Services 

(CFS) clarified that PK did not qualify as an “Indian Child” under the federal ICWA; 

however, the child’s maternal grandmother is a member of the Choctaw Nation of 

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Trowbridge lived in the home with his six-year-old daughter, LT, and DHS 

received a report that Trowbridge had watched pornography with LT and that he held her 

hand and masturbated while watching pornography. LT was also removed from the home 

and is the subject of a separate dependency-neglect proceeding. 
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Oklahoma, and the biological mother is eligible for membership along with her children.

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CFS advised the “parent or legal custodian” to complete the requisite membership 

paperwork for the child and stated that “[o]nce either the biological mother or the child is 

enrolled, the child will qualify as an ‘Indian Child.’” 

The circuit court convened a termination hearing on 16 November 2021. At the 

outset, the court and counsel discussed whether ICWA should apply. Shelee Long, DHS 

counsel, stated that it was her understanding that King had not enrolled the children and 

that the biological mother was not enrolled, so the children do not meet the definition of 

Indian children, and ICWA does not apply. Sara Goodrum, King’s counsel, relayed 

information in an email from CFS to King that explained what King would need to do to 

enroll the children herself. It was Goodrum’s understanding that those things had not been 

done. 

The circuit court reasoned that based on CFS’s response, it could make a finding on 

ICWA’s applicability only as to PK. The court opined that it did not appear the hearing 

could move forward unless DHS “want[ed] to move forward as if all three children are 

Indian children[.]” Long indicated that DHS was prepared to do just that, but the court 

then questioned whether the case could move forward without the court making a specific 

finding that ICWA applies. Long stated that she had reviewed the statutes and found no 

requirement for a specific finding that ICWA applies. The court decided that because it 

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It is unclear why the response references only PK. 
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could not make a clear determination whether ICWA applies, it would impose the higher 

burden of proof required by ICWA.4

At the hearing, DHS offered the testimony of Mindy Tuck-Duty, who is a DHS 

supervisor, a member of the Cherokee Nation, and eligible for dual citizenship through the 

Choctaw Nation. She confirmed that she is knowledgeable about tribal customs pertaining 

to child rearing and practices and that she had previously been qualified as an expert witness 

for purposes of ICWA in other cases. The parties stipulated that Tuck-Duty is an expert in 

ICWA, the court designated her as one, and she testified to the following. 

Tuck-Duty did not work on the King case but familiarized herself with the facts by 

reviewing DHS and court records. She opined that DHS had made active efforts to prevent 

the breakup of the Indian family; those active efforts include a preremoval consult, an 

appropriate case plan, and a case reassessment every three months in an effort to keep the 

progress moving forward. When asked whether returning custody to King is likely to result 

in serious emotional or physical damage to the children, Tuck-Duty said that there had “not 

been enough significant progress showing that she’s . . . taken steps to alleviate the issues 

that brought the kids in care.” She specifically noted that King’s adult son still lived with 

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We have some doubt that the ICWA applies here. An Indian child is defined as 

“any unmarried person who is under age eighteen and is either (a) a member of an Indian 

tribe or (b) is eligible for membership in an Indian tribe and is the biological child of a 

member of an Indian tribe.” 25 U.S.C. § 1903(4). The doubt arises because while the 

biological mother and her children seem eligible for membership, there is no evidence in the 

record that either she or the children have been properly enrolled as members of the Choctaw 

Nation. Regardless, the circuit court applied the ICWA standards out of an abundance of 

caution on an unclear record, the parties agreed to an expert, the expert testified, a decision 

was reached, and we will review that decision. But even if the ICWA should not have 

applied, we would affirm the termination without hesitation on this record.
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her and that “bringing the children back into the home with the offender is detrimental to 

their not just physical health, but also, their mental health.” 

On cross-examination, Tuck-Duty reiterated that active efforts had been made to 

help King with her drug problems. Tuck-Duty explained that two different case workers 

had made referrals for King and that “[a]t some point, the mother has to be accountable for 

her actions as well[.]” 

In its termination order, the circuit court found that DHS had proved beyond a 

reasonable doubt that statutory grounds for termination exist and that termination of parental 

rights is in the children’s best interest. The court found that the children would be subjected 

to substantial risk of harm if returned to King’s custody, specifically “serious physical and 

emotional harm . . . due to [King’s] ongoing drug use, her continued instability, and her 

reunification with Joseph Lasiter Jr.” (Lasiter is King’s current husband and has previously 

been arrested for domestic assault with King as the victim.) And finally, the court found 

that DHS had made “active efforts to prevent the breakup of the Indian family. These 

reasonable and active efforts were unsuccessful. Thus, despite these efforts and services, the 

juveniles cannot and should not be returned to the parents.” King has timely appealed the 

circuit court’s order. 

We review termination-of-parental-rights cases de novo. Hune v. Ark. Dep’t of Hum.

Servs., 2010 Ark. App. 543. At least one statutory ground must exist, in addition to a finding 

that it is in the child’s best interest to terminate parental rights. Ark. Code Ann. § 9-27-

341 (Supp. 2021); Kohlman v. Ark. Dep’t of Hum. Servs., 2018 Ark. App. 164, 544 S.W.3d 

595. A best-interest finding under the Arkansas Juvenile Code must include consideration 
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of two factors: the likelihood of adoption and potential harm to the child if returned to the 

parents’ custody. Ark. Code Ann. § 9-27-341(b)(3)(A)(i) & (ii). Potential harm must be 

viewed in a forward-looking manner and in broad terms, including the harm the child 

suffers from the lack of stability of a permanent home. Wallace v. Ark. Dep’t of Hum. Servs., 

2015 Ark. App. 481, 470 S.W.3d 286.

According to the ICWA, the party seeking to terminate parental rights shall satisfy 

the circuit court that active efforts have been made to provide remedial services and 

rehabilitative programs designed to prevent the breakup of the Indian family and that these 

efforts have proved unsuccessful. 25 U.S.C. § 1912(d). Moreover, no termination of 

parental rights may be ordered in such a proceeding in the absence of a determination, 

supported by evidence beyond a reasonable doubt, including testimony of qualified expert 

witnesses, that the continued custody of the child by the parent is likely to result in serious 

emotional or physical damage to the child. 25 U.S.C. § 1912(f). According to regulations 

issued by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the State’s “evidence must show a causal relationship 

between the particular conditions in the home and the likelihood that continued custody of 

the child will result in serious emotional or physical damage to the particular child who is 

the subject of the child-custody proceeding.” 25 C.F.R. § 23.121(c) (2022). Without 

establishing this causal relationship, “evidence that shows only the existence of community 

or family . . . substance abuse or nonconforming social behavior” will not “by itself” prove 

beyond a reasonable doubt that the likelihood required by ICWA exists. 25 C.F.R. § 

23.121(d).
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Despite this heightened standard in the circuit court, this court’s review is still de 

novo, and we will not reverse the circuit court’s ruling unless its findings are clearly 

erroneous. Holmes v. Ark. Dep’t of Hum. Servs., 2016 Ark. App. 495, 505 S.W.3d 730. A 

finding is clearly erroneous when, although there is evidence to support it, the reviewing 

court on the entire evidence is left with a definite and firm conviction that a mistake has 

been made. Sharks v. Ark. Dep’t of Hum. Servs., 2016 Ark. App. 435, 502 S.W.3d 569. In 

determining whether a finding is clearly erroneous, we give due deference to the circuit 

court’s opportunity to judge the witnesses’ credibility. Bryant v. Ark. Dep’t of Hum. Servs., 

2018 Ark. App. 375, 554 S.W.3d 295.

King first says that the circuit court erred in its “likelihood of harm” finding because 

Tuck-Duty failed to make a causal connection between the conditions in the home and the 

likelihood that each particular child will suffer serious emotional or physical harm if returned 

to her. Tuck-Duty’s only familiarity with the case and the basis for her “expert” opinion 

came from reading the case file. King notes that the affidavit attached to the emergency 

petition did not note any sexual abuse or contact between the adult son and the “particular” 

children who are “the subject of the child-custody proceeding,” and Tuck-Duty did not 

address how there was a causal relationship between Trowbridge and these children that 

would warrant termination of parental rights. King acknowledges that she did not raise this 

argument below but contends that it is a sufficiency-of-the-evidence issue that can be raised 

for the first time on appeal. 

The record has ample evidence to support a finding beyond a reasonable doubt that 

continued custody with King was likely to result in serious emotional or physical damage 
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to the children. King failed to complete any part of the case plan, she continued to use 

illegal drugs, she did not consistently visit the children, and at the time of the termination 

hearing, she was still living with Trowbridge, a sex offender, and with a new husband, who 

had been charged with domestic abuse. As to King’s argument that Tuck-Duty was required 

to specifically address each child in her testimony and make specific statements about how 

each child would be harmed if returned to the home, this court has previously addressed 

and rejected this argument. 

In Garris v. Arkansas Department of Human Services, 2021 Ark. App. 118, 619 S.W.3d 

67, Rosie Garris appealed the termination of her parental rights and argued that the circuit 

court had not complied with the ICWA. Tuck-Duty also served as the expert witness in 

Garris, and Garris argued that Tuck-Duty had not specifically testified that the child would 

likely suffer serious physical or emotional damage if returned to her custody. This court 

held, 

Rosie’s argument misses the mark because it focuses on whether TuckDuty used the exact language of the statute. The question is not whether the 

ICWA expert witness used any magic words in describing the risk posed by 

returning the child to the parent but whether the court had sufficient evidence 

including, but not limited to, Tuck-Duty’s testimony to support such a 

finding.

Id. at 12, 619 S.W.3d at 75–76. In the present case, Tuck-Duty testified that the children

were likely to suffer serious physical or emotional damage if returned to King because she 

failed to comply with any portion of the case plan and continued to live with inappropriate 

individuals who are a threat to her children. She was not required to recite this information 

for each child individually. We hold that in light of the evidence presented and our previous 
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disposition of this argument in Garris, King’s assertions on this point present no basis for 

reversal. 

For her second point, King asserts that it was a conflict of interest for DHS to offer 

its own employee as the Indian expert to prove that termination was appropriate under 

ICWA. She argues that Tuck-Duty’s role as an expert witness in this case was especially 

egregious because she “is a supervisor in the same county, and thus the same DHS office, 

where the case was being handled. This means that [she] had a close working relationship, 

and likely a personal camaraderie, with the staff assigned to this case—the same staff seeking 

the termination order.” 

This argument was also presented in Garris, and this court declined to address it 

because it was not preserved. The Garris court explained that challenges to the qualification 

of an ICWA expert witness are evidentiary issues that require preservation and not 

sufficiency-of-the-evidence issues that do not require preservation. This court held, 

Rosie also argues that Tuck-Duty should have been disqualified as an 

ICWA expert witness because she serves as a DCFS supervisor, which Rosie 

claims is a conflict of interest. . . . As with Rosie’s previous argument, to the 

extent that she frames this issue as an evidentiary challenge to Tuck-Duty’s 

qualification as an expert witness, her argument has not been preserved for 

our review because she failed to raise it below. To the extent that Rosie is 

challenging Tuck-Duty’s credibility due to her employment with DCFS, we 

must again give deference to the opportunity of the circuit court to judge the 

credibility of witnesses.

Garris, 2021 Ark. App. 118, at 11, 619 S.W.3d at 75. While King asks this court to 

reconsider our holding in Garris, we decline to do so. First, the argument is not preserved;

and second, King stipulated to Tuck-Duty’s status as an ICWA expert witness below. 
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For her final point, King argues that the circuit court’s failure to comply with the

ICWA has disrupted the goal of permanency for the children and rendered termination not 

in their best interest. Again, this contention was addressed and rejected in Garris:

Rosie also contends that, based on the errors alleged above, DHS failed 

to meet the statutory requirements for termination pursuant to the ICWA and 

that, therefore, CG’s permanency is at risk because she cannot be adopted. In 

support of this argument, Rosie cites several cases from other jurisdictions in 

which an adoption proceeding following a termination order governed by the 

ICWA was disrupted because the prior termination proceeding was found to 

have not complied with the ICWA. Rosie’s argument fails because she asserts 

no additional allegations of reversible error than those already addressed and 

rejected above. Because we have found no reversible error as to any of 

Rosie’s previous points on appeal, this argument lacks merit.

Garris, 2021 Ark. App. 118, at 11, 619 S.W.3d at 75. Having found no reversible error in 

the arguments on points one and two, and given our precedent in Garris, we find no 

reversible error on this point either. 

Affirmed.

ABRAMSON and HIXSON, JJ., agree. 

Leah Lanford, Arkansas Commission for Parent Counsel, for appellant.

Ellen K. Howard, Ark. Dep’t of Human Services, Office of Chief Counsel, for 

appellee.

Dana McClain, attorney ad litem for minor children.