Taiesha Douglas Story - July 2009
It has been such a long hard fight,
I don’t even know where to begin; therefore I will start with my current town in New Jersey…
I moved from New York to New Jersey on January 1st 2008 because I had taken a job as a Software Engineer with a company in Fort Lee New Jersey and the commute to and from work each day was horrendous. I enrolled my children in the New Jersey school system and immediately problems began to arise. My youngest son, who was 6 at the time, had been having problems with the school, in terms of his “socialization” with the other students. The school claimed that my son was “disruptive” in the classroom and that they had a no tolerance policy. I explained over several conversations with his teacher and the principal that he had been telling me that the students in the classroom had been taunting him with racial slurs and picking on him; the school had suspended my child for one week for allegedly hitting another child. The teacher of the school had informed me that he was telling lies on the other students in the classroom in an attempt to “get them into trouble” and that he was very disruptive to her classroom. Upon his return to school, I had a meeting with his teacher and the principal, who informed me that my son would be expelled from school if his behavior persisted. I “argued” that my child was only in the 1st grade and that this was ludacris. I also, once again spoke to them concerning the harassment that my son was alleging about the other students in the classroom and that he felt that the teacher in the classroom did not like him. My concerns were dismissed as mere speculations and my son continued in attendance.
On approximately May 8th 2008, I received a call from the Principal of my son’s school at the end of the school day, informing me that my son had been suspended again from school for hitting a child. I then asked him why the child that pushed my child down on the playground, bruised his knee and ripped his pants was not suspended a week prior, and his response was that, that particular incident was an accident. He once again threatened to expel my son from school and began “talking over me” as I was trying to resolve the schools concerns without tarnishing my 1st grader’s record with an expelled history on it. With no resolve, I hung up the phone on him because at that point, he began to badger me.
On the same day at approximately 6pm, I received a call from the local police department, stating that my child was in custody, everything was ok and that they needed me to come down to the precinct. I reached the precinct approximately an hour later with my aunt. The officer at the front desk directed me to a room upstairs where I was met with two plain clothed detectives. I asked one of the officers what was going on and he told me to shut up and sit down. My aunt then also asked what the problem was. The officer asked her who she was, told her that this matter didn’t concern her and asked her to leave. A female detective then took me into an empty room read me my rights and gave me a paper to sign, which was a waiver of my right to an attorney. I informed the officer that I was not going to sign the paper and requested to speak to an attorney. I was asked where my other son was and informed the officers that I was not speaking to anyone until I either knew what was going on or was furnished with an attorney. I was then told that I was being placed under arrest. I was taken into another room in the precinct and asked to remove all of my hairpins from my head and to remove my shoes.
A women from the New Jersey Division of Youth and Family Services met me in that room and begin repeatedly yelling at me, “where is your other son so that we can protect him” I began crying and continued to ask what was going on and asked where my youngest son was. I was placed in a holding cell at the precinct for some hours where I was then sent to the Prison, in a maximum security section, where I remained for one week. I was arraigned in prison on “video court” where I was charged with Child endangerment, where I or my ex boyfriend (there are two conflicting reports; one from the school and the one from the police department) allegedly forced my 6 year old son to balance a grain of rice on the tops of his feet and hold a jug over his head for 2 hours. The police department broke into my home, trashed it and then took pictures of it. They also took into evidence, a small container of cooking oil, since they did not find a jug in my home to support their claims. I was also charged with obstruction of justice, since I did not speak to the police or inform them where my eldest son was.
The same night that I was arrested the detective called my place of employment and informed them that I was being arrested and that she needed some information on me. Upon my return home from prison, I was fired from my job, which caused me to lose my apartment and my livelihood.
Approximately 3-5 days after I was released from prison, I went to the New Jersey Division of Youth and Family Services for a “Family Team Meeting” where I was told that the allegations of child endangerment could not be substantiated; however my children were not being returned to my custody because I had a case file with the California Child Protection Services that was never closed. At the next court date, my children were sent to California, while I remained in New Jersey. I could not leave the state of New Jersey because I still had and have pending charges with the New Jersey Police Department of Child Endangerment and Obstruction of Justice based on my right to remain silent while detained, under arrest and interrogated by New Jersey police and others. I have seen my children for less than 15 hours in one year and the Agency is purposely hindering me from speaking with them. I have completed the “Services” that they have asked me to complete and I still do not have my children. My home has been approved and deemed as safe for my children, and they are still not willing to return my children to my care. I have been lied to repeatedly about whether or not the appropriate forms have been completed so that my children can be returned to me.
Each time I ask the workers for something in writing stating what they are telling me or for something in writing stating what their policy is for releasing information to me, they tell me that the case files are confidential and that they will not give me anything.
I was told by one of the workers that a recommendation will not be made by New Jersey to California to send my children home because I did not speak to the police and that they are requesting that I have a psychological evaluation.
I have been fighting a losing battle for over a year with these people. I have even paid for legal representation and received no help at all. My children are afraid to talk to me and I have been made to feel afraid. I have spoken to my social worker on several occasions about the fact that I am not being allowed to speak to my children due to the abuse of power with the foster families and nothing is being done about it. My children are being turned against me and being led to believe that I have abandoned them and that they are not home with me because of something that I have done wrong and my youngest son has been placed on addictive medication at the objection of myself and his father.
At this point I am angry, frustrated and feel very helpless about my situation. If there is anything that anyone can do to help me, it will be much appreciated.
Sincerely,
Taiesha Douglas
A tired yet determined mother
