Opinion ID: 1847492
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 17

Heading: Finding of Statutory Grounds

Text: We have explained that the interest of parents in the care, custody, and control of their children is perhaps the oldest of the fundamental liberty interests recognized by the U.S. Supreme Court. Accordingly, before the State attempts to force a breakup of a natural family, over the objections of the parents and their children, the State must prove parental unfitness. [10] A court may not properly deprive a parent of the custody of his or her minor child unless the State affirmatively establishes that such parent is unfit to perform the duties imposed by the relationship, or has forfeited that right. [11] It is always the State's burden to prove by clear and convincing evidence that the parent is unfit and that the child's best interests are served by his or her continued removal from parental custody. [12] We have noted that the term unfitness is not expressly used in § 43-292, but the concept is generally encompassed by the fault and neglect subsections of that statute, and also through a determination of the child's best interests. [13] In this case, the juvenile court found that the State had met its burden of showing statutory ground § 43-292(2) as to Gracie and statutory grounds § 43-292(2), (8), (9), and (10)(d) as to Hope, Sam, and Xavier. Ben and Joanna appeal these findings. In relevant part, § 43-292 states: The court may terminate all parental rights between the parents or the mother of a juvenile born out of wedlock and such juvenile when the court finds such action to be in the best interests of the juvenile and it appears by the evidence that one or more of the following conditions exist: . . . . (2) The parents have substantially and continuously or repeatedly neglected and refused to give the juvenile or a sibling of the juvenile necessary parental care and protection; . . . . (8) The parent has inflicted upon the juvenile, by other than accidental means, serious bodily injury; (9) The parent of the juvenile has subjected the juvenile to aggravated circumstances, including, but not limited to, abandonment, torture, chronic abuse, or sexual abuse; or (10) The parent has . . . (d) committed a felony assault that resulted in serious bodily injury to the juvenile or another minor child of the parent. A review of the record demonstrates that Ben and Joanna repeatedly sought unnecessary medical attention for their children. The couple reported false symptoms and test results to medical staff, resulting in the performance of unnecessary procedures and surgeries, most particularly Sam's fundoplication surgery. In many cases, it is clear that the symptoms were false because the same behavior was not observed by medical staff and was not confirmed by testing. In addition, Ben and Joanna were convicted of felony child abuse for withholding food from Xavier's feeding tube to the point that he entered a starvation state. Joanna was videotaped repeatedly disconnecting the NG tube; in addition, both Ben and Joanna admitted to the disconnection of the feeding tube. The record shows that Sam was also in a starvation state at one point. And a G-button was placed because of parental reports that Hope did not eat. The parents argue that medical professionals performed the now-questioned procedures and that, therefore, a medical basis to do so must have existed. But parental reports were the driving force behind most of these procedures; several medical professionals testified that in order to effectively practice medicine, one must be able to take parental reports at face value. As a result of all of these medical interventions, Hope has been diagnosed with PTSD. And though Xavier appears to be doing well, the starvation he experienced as a young, premature infant might well affect him developmentally. We conclude, based upon our de novo review of the record, that under § 43-292(2), Ben and Joanna substantially and continuously or repeatedly neglected and refused to give . . . necessary parental care and protection to Hope, Sam, and Xavier. Moreover, under § 43-292(2), if this condition is met as to the three older children, it is also met as to their sibling, Gracie. In addition to § 43-292(2), the record also supports the conclusion that Ben and Joanna subjected Hope, Sam, and Xavier`to aggravated circumstances, specifically chronic abuse, under § 43-292(9). The record is replete with instances of unnecessary medical treatment undergone by Hope and Sam, as well as the repeated disconnection of Xavier's feeding tube and Ben and Joanna's failure to comply with medical advice and orders relating to Xavier's treatment, even after signing a safety plan indicating that they would do so. The evidence supports these findings under § 43-292(2) and (9) with respect to both Ben and Joanna. Joanna was responsible for many of the false reports, but the record indicates that Ben was also involved. It is not plausible that Ben was unaware of Joanna's actions. And indeed, the record reveals that Ben was present with Joanna on many relevant occasions. Notably, Ben was present at St. Elizabeth and Children's during the admission processes leading to Sam's fundoplication, times when Joanna made several false reports to medical staff. And Ben has admitted that he was as involved with the disconnection of Xavier's feeding tube as Joanna was. Because we have concluded that Ben and Joanna are unfit under § 43-292(2) and (9), we decline to address whether the medical abuse suffered by the children was sufficient to render Ben and Joanna unfit under any other subsection of § 43-292.