Both parents agree: The child is being harmed. Which one will the court believe?

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The Big Story
Fri. Aug 18, 2023

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In the Child’s Best Interest <[link removed]> As a contentious custody dispute drags on for years, both sides agree on one thing: The child at the center of it is being abused. Is his mother or father to blame? by Hannah Dreyfus

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More From This Investigation

Parental Alienation: A Disputed Theory With Big Implications <[link removed]> The impact of junk science in criminal cases is well known, but family courts have allowed a disputed psychological theory to persist with little scrutiny. by Hannah Dreyfus <[link removed]>

Barricaded Siblings Turn to TikTok While Defying Court Order to Return to Father They Say Abused Them <[link removed]> A judge concluded the children were victims of parental alienation, which continues to influence family courts despite being rejected by mainstream scientific groups, and authorized police to use “reasonable force” to remove them from their mother. by Hannah Dreyfus <[link removed]>

A Court Ordered Siblings to a Reunification Camp With Their Estranged Father. The Children Say It Was Abusive. <[link removed]> Family courts are increasingly using programs like Turning Points for Families to treat the disputed psychological theory of parental alienation. But little is publicly known about the programs’ controversial methods. by Hannah Dreyfus <[link removed]>

A Custody Evaluator Who Disbelieves 90% of Abuse Allegations Recommended a Teen Stay Under Her Abusive Father’s Control <[link removed]> In Colorado family courts, parents can request an expert evaluation of their case, which sometimes includes allegations of abuse. Mark Kilmer is routinely appointed to evaluate families despite his own history of domestic violence. by Hannah Dreyfus <[link removed]>

More From Our Newsroom

An Experiment to Fight Pandemic-Era Learning Loss Launches in Richmond <[link removed]> After intense opposition and skepticism, two elementary schools opened 20 days early to help students make up for what they missed during the time of remote learning. The first question: Would kids show up in the middle of summer for extra schooling? by Alec MacGillis <[link removed]>

How Tennessee’s Justice System Allows Dangerous People to Keep Guns — With Deadly Outcomes <[link removed]> Michaela Carter was one of at least 75 people killed in domestic violence shootings in Nashville since 2007. Nearly 40% were shot by people who were legally barred from having a gun. by Paige Pfleger, WPLN/Nashville Public Radio, with research by Mariam Elba, ProPublica <[link removed]>

Choate Director Replaced as New Report Says Abuse at the Facility Hasn’t Stopped <[link removed]> A new report by an advocacy agency details how abuse and neglect at Choate have continued despite calls for and promises of reform. Now, the Illinois Department of Human Services has reversed its decision to keep Choate’s top leadership in place. by Beth Hundsdorfer and Molly Parker, Capitol News Illinois <[link removed]>

The Hidden Fee Costing Doctors Millions Every Year <[link removed]> A powerful lobbyist convinced a federal agency that doctors can be forced to pay fees on money that health insurers owe them. Big companies rake in profits while doctors are saddled with yet another cost in a burdensome health care system. by Cezary Podkul <[link removed]>

Clarence Thomas’ 38 Vacations: The Other Billionaires Who Have Treated the Supreme Court Justice to Luxury Travel <[link removed]> The fullest accounting yet shows how Thomas has secretly reaped the benefits from a network of wealthy and well-connected patrons that is far more extensive than previously understood. by Brett Murphy and Alex Mierjeski <[link removed]>

Unstoppable: This Doctor Has Been Investigated at Every Level of Government. How Is He Still Practicing? <[link removed]> Medical boards, a health department and even federal investigators have scrutinized Dr. James McGuckin’s vascular clinics. Today he still practices, despite a decadelong string of sanctions, fines and lawsuits. by Annie Waldman <[link removed]>

LA Housing Department Demands Residential Hotels Stop Renting Rooms to Tourists <[link removed]> After a Capital & Main and ProPublica investigation found that landlords were turning low-cost housing into tourist hotels, the city ordered some building owners to comply with the law. by Robin Urevich, Capital & Main, and Gabriel Sandoval, ProPublica <[link removed]>

Why Some Wisconsin Lawmakers and Local Officials Have Changed Their Minds About Letting Undocumented Immigrants Drive <[link removed]> “If we suddenly kicked out all of the people here, the undocumented, our dairy farms would collapse,” one lawmaker said. “We have to come up with a solution.” by Melissa Sanchez <[link removed]>

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