Menu

Show posts

This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.

Show posts Menu

Topics - jilly

#61
Father's Issues / FERPA Complaint
Dec 06, 2004, 10:04:05 AM
Has anyone ever filed a complaint against a school that didn't follow FERPA?  What's the procedure?  Do you complain to the school board first before sending in the formal complaint? Do you just go straight to the agency in charge of this and let them straighten the school out?  I know that there's a form letter on this website for a complaint that can be used.  Just want to make sure of the steps before proceeding.

DH provided SASEs to SDs teacher and asked her to send him copies of anything/everything that goes to PBFH.  We were getting things sporadically so DH sent FERPA letter.  We still aren't getting copies of everything that goes to PBFH.  He wasn't even notified of the parent/teacher conference that was held before the end of the first 9 weeks.
#62
Father's Issues / Parents Seek Custody Law Reform
Oct 08, 2004, 07:22:03 AM
Parents seek custody law reform
Friday, October 8, 2004 Posted: 9:22 AM EDT (1322 GMT)

RELATED
• American Coalition for Fathers and Children
• Memphis Child Advocacy Center
• Indiana Civil Rights Council

 
PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania (AP) -- John Cihon lost custody of 6-year-old Andrew when he and his wife divorced. Now, father and son spend two weekends a month together and try to talk on the phone nearly every day.

"I hate it," Cihon says of the limited contact. "He asks me all the time, 'When am I going to come over? When can I see you?"'

Cihon, of Pittsburgh, contends some 25 million parents in the United States -- 22 million fathers and 3 million mothers -- are just like him, not allowed to live with their children because of unfair custody laws.

Last week, Cihon became part of a nationwide effort to reform those statues when he signed on as lead plaintiff in a federal lawsuit against the state of Pennsylvania.

Led by the Indiana Civil Rights Council, like-minded groups such as the American Coalition for Fathers and Children plan to sue all 50 states and U.S. territories. At least 40 suits have already been filed, according to the council.

The lawsuits use a wide range of constitutional grounds to argue that a child's natural parents both have an equal right to custody, but that right for one parent is too often trumped by a swell-sounding but ill-defined legal standard known as "the best interest of the child."

Generally, children's advocates and family lawyers say, courts find it is in the child's best interest to give physical custody to the primary caregiver. Living with one parent minimizes shuttling a child -- especially a younger one -- between homes. The "noncustodial" parent is ordinarily the breadwinner, still frequently the man, who spends more time away from the child.

"As children progress (in maturity) they're better able to handle those types of situations," said Chris Zawisza, director of the Child Advocacy Clinic at the University of Memphis Law School.

Pros, cons of 50-50
The lawsuits seek $1 million in damages for any plaintiffs who may sign on to each class action, meaning the potential damages run into the trillions nationwide. But what the groups really want are changes in the laws, such as a bill being proposed for Pennsylvania by state Rep. Thomas Stevenson.

Stevenson's bill would set a "presumptive standard" that physical custody should be split 50-50 unless one parent can prove that there's a good reason for a different arrangement. Legal custody, which gives both parents a say in issues such as religion, health and education, can be shared equally even when physical custody is not.

But many of the experts say legislating a 50-50 standard is a bad idea.

 And why do they want 50-50 (custody)? Some people want it because they know they can reduce the support they pay to their wives.
-- Lynne Gold-Bikin, a family law attorney  
 
"This is one more attempt to say that every case that goes into court should start with the assumption that it's 50-50 time -- even if they haven't been putting in 50-50 time before that," said Lynne Gold-Bikin, a family law attorney and past chair of the American Bar Association's family law section. "And why do they want 50-50 (custody)? Some people want it because they know they can reduce the support they pay to their wives" as a result.

That may be, but advocates say it's discriminatory not to equally protect both parents' full rights until and unless the facts show that one parent has forfeited them.

And they say the deck is stacked because the time a wage-earner spends making money to feed, clothe and shelter children isn't given equal weight to time spent with the child, even though it's just as necessary as nurturing.

"The many are suffering because of the reputation of a few -- the deadbeat dads and deadbeat moms," said Torm Howse, president of the Indiana Civil Rights Council. "Each parent has certain rights and the states have been taking away the rights of one parent."
#63
Father's Issues / Gender biased Legal system
Feb 20, 2004, 08:01:31 AM
I am very confused about the legal system.I have always believed in the legal system,I still do...to some extent.But recently I am finding out that it is gender biased.I was divorced for about 2 years now. My ex has repeatedly made false allegations against me during these 2 years in hope of gaining sole custody of our son so she and her boyfriend can leave the state and so she does not have to answer to me. All of the allegations against me have be found to be unsubstantiated.The last set of allegations against me I was eventually arrested for(even though the police didn't want to)and spend 24 hours in jail.Dyfs took my son away from his mother and placed him in a foster home because of evidence that she was putting these things into his head and telling him to make up things.Eventually all the charges have been dropped against me And I should be Getting physical custody of my son within the next 2 weeks.The confusion is now how come nobody is going after my ex for what she has done.Besides the lieing and me having to spend 24 hours in jail and spending an ungodly amount of money to defend myself against these lies,there is the emotional trama that she has caused to my son.first off being alinated from me.The emotional distress he has go through having to live in a shelter for 5 months.And the physical,having to go through 2 rape kits in 2 different hospitals in one day.Why isn't anybody bring charges against her?The prosecutors office filed crimainal charges against me with no physical evidence,but is not doing anything to her when they have witnesses and evidence against her.My lawyer tells me that nobody likes to prosecute a mother because of the publicity it will draw.But what about my son,how can i raise him to believe in the legal system when the legal system is not doing anything to protect him.Is my attorney right?