Opinion ID: 1512718
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: conduct which endangers emotional well-being

Text: In affirming the trial court's decree terminating the parent-child relationship the court of civil appeals did not rely upon the trial court's finding that Nanci Holley's conduct endangered the emotional well-being of her child [Section 15.02(1)(D)]. Although it is not clear that Section 15.02(1)(D) was properly pleaded by the recitation in the petition that Nanci Holley emotionally and actually abandoned the child, it does not appear to be an issue between the parties before the court will, for the purposes of this case, treat it as properly pleaded. Nanci Holley contends that there is no evidence to support the trial court's finding that her conduct endangered the emotional well-being of her child [Section 15.02(1)(D)]. With respect to this contention, this court in reviewing the record can only consider the evidence and the inferences tending to support the finding of the trial court and must disregard all evidence and inferences to the contrary. Garza v. Alviar, 395 S.W.2d 821 (Tex.1965). We hold that there was no evidence to support the finding that Nanci Holley, by her conduct, endangered the emotional well-being of her child. The trial court's finding was apparently based in part upon the fact that she visited the child only three times during the five and one-half year period prior to the trial of this case. There was no evidence of any nature that the infrequency of the contacts endangered the child's emotional well-being in any way. Similarly, there was no evidence that Nanci's visits with her son endangered his emotional well-being in any way. The trial court also may have based its conclusion that Nanci Holley endangered the emotional well-being of her child upon the conduct previously recited that appeared to cast doubt on her competency as a parent: her arrest in 1969 for a traffic offense; her commitment to the Austin State Hospital by her mother for less than two months; her conduct while traveling to Seattle; her second divorce; and her voluntary declaration of bankruptcy. Again, however, there was no evidence of any nature that David Christopher's emotional well-being was endangered by this conduct in any way. The foregoing is not to be understood as speaking to the quality of the testimony which might be required to establish that the emotional well-being of a child has been endangered. The instant record is merely devoid of any testimony or evidence of any nature which bears upon the bringing into danger or peril the emotional well-being of the child.