Justice isn’t blind in dependency court in Santa Rosa County, Florida. She’s brazenly doing the bidding of the Florida Department of Children and Families, which needs to be investigated by a third party.
The problems include:
- Children taken from their homes under armed police escort and sometimes kept by DCF without due process and placed in foster care homes 6-12 hours from their families;
- Parents wrongfully accused, gag ordered, and sometimes terminated of parental rights against their will;
- State employees accused of lying and seemingly colluding with other agencies against families;
- Medical professionals who are not specialists act like subject matter experts, and their opinion is often regarded as such;
- Guardian Ad Litem volunteers pressured not to make DCF look bad or even “fired” for honesty;
- Nonprofit with “goals” of adopting out 30 kids a month;
- States given federal money for meeting adoption goals.
Doesn’t sound American, does it?
Although due process, which ensures fair hearings and neutral decisions in both civil and criminal proceedings, is guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution, it has not been happening in Santa Rosa County in the First Judicial Circuit of Florida, and, from the looks of it, such issues appear to be systemic throughout Florida.
For too long the judicial arm has been rubber stamping the out-of-control Florida Department of Children and Families, which needs a complete overhaul. But we can’t expect that to happen under outgoing Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ term. After all, he appointed current DCF Secretary Taylor Hatch, and his personality is one that doubles down to defend instead of admitting problems exist.
Local DCF issues started getting nationwide exposure after bodycam footage from one of two Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office deputies used by DCF to remove a Navarre child from her home two years ago went viral. In that video, two DCF workers were seen being unprofessional and one even laughed, causing much public outcry.
Meanwhile, the child was placed in foster care in the Jacksonville area, causing the Mom and sibling to make weekly 12-hour drives for visits. How can a family survive in such circumstances? The travel expense would create failure for many families.
Fast forward to this February when that Mom, Joy Zuraff, went on a podcast, talking about her two-year battle with DCF, which was attempting to terminate her parental rights over her concerns about using TRIKAFTA to treat her daughter’s cystic fibrosis.
Soon thereafter Zuraff was placed under a gag order by a First Judicial Circuit Judge. WHY? Why was she silenced?
Fortunately, word about the case was already spreading through the community, and some local moms reached out to state legislators, including District 1 Senator Don Gaetz and House District 2 Representative Nathan Boyles, who took interest.
Then Senator Jason Pizzo entered stage left.
In addition to serving as Senator for the Broward and Miami-Dade are, Pizzo is an attorney who recently took Zuraff’s case pro bono.
Upon leaving the Santa Rosa County courtroom following Zuraff’s proceeding yesterday, Pizzo told South Santa Rosa News that “the process is going well.”
Indeed it is. Her child was transferred from Jacksonville back to a foster caregiver in Santa Rosa County. State workers were removed from the case and replaced with others. A new Guardian Ad Litem from Panama City was appointed.
But don’t look for a story about the case from Pensacola News Journal or WEAR ABC 3. Is that because Ascension Sacred Heart, where Zuraff’s medical freedom problems started, give them advertising business? Oh well, at least you can read about it in the Miami Herald, Tampa Bay Times, and local independent news outlets.
Although Pizzo wouldn’t go into much details, Cindy Smith, one of the locals who have been fighting for Zuraff, says they are now “optimistic” that reunification is possible.
While this is great for the Zuraff family, there’s still no resolution for hundreds upon hundreds of families, who are still living a DCF nightmare.
Don’t be mistaken. We’re not talking about clear-cut cases where abuse is unquestionable…
Imagine never being able to see your child again even after leaving a partner who was violent toward you (not the child), praying you will get to reconnect after they become an adult;
Imagine not seeing your grandchild for more than a year because you were accused of not reporting child abuse – despite being the one who encouraged the parent to take the child for medical treatment;
Imagine taking your student athlete to the hospital and having him moved info foster care in Miami, creating a lengthy fight to get him home;
Imagine having your infant taken from you after delivery because of a false accusation that you were an alcholic during pregnancy.
In the latter case, the family plans to sue. And I believe that’s what it’s going to take to get much-needed change. Families rallying together, lawyering up and suing the State of Florida, hospitals, medical staff, and others involved.
Watch the Take Care of Maya documentary on Netflix. A Florida jury awarded Maya Kowalski’s family over $200 million in compensatory and punitive damages against Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. The lawsuit alleged the hospital committed false imprisonment, battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Dr. Sally Smith, a child abuse pediatrician, and her employer (Suncoast Center, Inc.) settled out of court with the Kowalski’s for $2.5 million. She was accused of wrongly diagnosing Maya with Munchausen syndrome by proxy (medical child abuse), leading to Maya’s 87-day separation from her family and her mother’s suicide.
But it’s not only the hospitals and medical professionals who need to be held accountable.
DCF must be reformed! Now that state leaders are engaged, some of that might happen. PATTERSON’S LAW goes into effect July 1, and there’s an effort to create legislation in Zuraff’s child’s name.
In the meantime, I would like to recognize one judge who isn’t blindly going along with whatever DCF wants. Over in Okaloosa County, Judge Terry Ketchel isn’t playing their games. We need more judges like him.
We also need more Guardian Ad Litem volunteers willing to stand up to coercion and share their true opinion about what’s happening to the children in the system – even if it means getting “fired.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: Was your child removed by DCF and placed in a foster home 6 or more hours away? Were you placed under a gag order by a judge in a case which is now closed? If so, pls email info@ssrnews.com.
