NJ threatening to take boy from parents

[petegz28]

VERNON, N.J. – A New Jersey father claims the state is threatening to take his 13-year-old child away from him.

Ethan Chaplin got in trouble with his school after a classmate claimed he was spinning his pencil like a gun. School officials threatened to suspend him over the incident.

Officials eventually backed off and decided no disciplinary action would be taken.

The incident was old news until Ethan’s father received startling communication from New Jersey’s Department of Child Protection and Permanency and Department of Children and Families.

“I received a letter from them saying they had found an incident of abuse or neglect regarding Ethan because I refused to take him for psychological evaluation,” Chaplin said.

So Chaplin agreed to take his son for an evaluation.

Ethan was seen by a social worker, and had his blood drawn and urine taken. In the end, no behavioral problem was ever found.

PIX11 reports that the state is now demanding further evaluation and threatening that if Chaplin doesn’t comply, they will terminate his parental rights and free Ethan up for adoption.

He has even reached out to Governor Chris Christie’s office, who replied they would contact the Dept. of Children and Families to investigate.

http://myfox8.com/2014/06/11/new-jer...omment-page-1/

Better get those pencils out of the schools now..

[alnorth]

Originally Posted by petegz28

Assuming the story on it's face is true, let's examine this..

1. Classmate "claims" Kid somehow twirls a pencil like a gun
2. Principal determines, no harm-no foul
(This should be the end of it)
3. State has boy urine and blood tested
4. State wants boy to visit shrink
5. State threatens Dad to take kid away

all over what? I don't disagree with you but common sense must prevail at some point.

This is probably an example of moron bureaucrats. Government workers don't step back to look at the full picture and see if it makes sense, they just mindlessly follow rules.

I'm guessing NJ has a rule where if a kid is accused of making terrorist threats involving a gun, they must be evaluated by a shrink, probably some kind of mental health initiative to prevent gun violence. Unrelated to that, I imagine they have another rule saying if a parent refuses a mental evaluation when its ordered for one of many possible reasons (gun threat in school, domestic abuse at home, sexual assault, whatever), then its child abuse, etc.

So, kid says he's being threatened with a pencil that looks like a gun, and moron teacher freaks out. The incident is recorded in some computer database. Principal investigates, figures out its no big deal.

NJ computer system notifies mindless government drone #45019 that a psych eval is needed due to a gun threat at a school. The mindless government drone sends standardized "take your kid to a shrink" letter.

Parent refuses, NJ computer system notifies mindless government drone #45019 that the psych eval was not done in the proscribed amount of time so a child is at risk. Mindless government drone #45019 sends standardized threatening letter, filling in the names, address, and phone number of NJ resident.

Parent takes kid in for some kind of eval, and the details are entered in a database.

Another mindless government drone, this time #77109 checks to see if he can close the file, but notes that the evaluation does not meet NJ's standards for a full evaluation, and leaves it open.

Computer system notifies the first mindless government drone, #45019, that its now a really long time without a needed psych eval. Mindless government drone #45019 sends standardized very threatening letter.

Parent freaks, calls the governor and goes to the media.

(hopefully the next step) governor sends a representative to the government drone cubicle farm to yell at drone supervisors, knock some heads, and get the case closed.

[lcarus]

Originally Posted by BucEyedPea

I think hysteria is setting in with the recent shootings at schools. ( not to mention some stabbings by kids)

But this is suited for DC. Because this idea of imposing mental health by govt as a solution is going to get out of hand. Again, due to hysteria. This is what some folks are arguing for too.

Give em an inch and they'll eventually take a mile. Authoritarian ****s.