Trump administration must stop giving psychotropic drugs to migrant children without consent, judge

[DonViejo]

Source: The Washington Post



By Samantha Schmidt
July 31 at 6:38 AM

A federal judge on Monday found that U.S. government officials have been giving psychotropic medication to migrant children at a Texas facility without first seeking the consent of their parents or guardians, in violation of state child welfare laws.

U.S. District Judge Dolly Gee in Los Angeles ordered the Trump administration to obtain consent or a court order before administering any psychotropic medications to migrant children, except in cases of dire emergencies. She also ordered that the government move all children out of a Texas facility, Shiloh Residential Treatment Center in Manvel, except for children deemed by a licensed professional to pose a “risk of harm” to themselves or others.

Staff members at Shiloh admitted to signing off on medications in lieu of a parent, relative or legal guardian, according to Gee’s ruling. Government officials defended this practice, saying they provided these drugs only on “an emergency basis” when a child’s “extreme psychiatric symptoms” became dangerous.

The judge didn’t buy this explanation, pointing to testimony from children who said they were given pills “every morning and every night.” Officials “could not have possibly” administered medications to children on an emergency basis every day, Gee wrote.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2018/07/31/trump-administration-must-seek-consent-before-giving-drugs-to-migrant-children-judge-rules/

[saidsimplesimon]

1. It's about time.

I will fight a return to the "snake pits" where dissenters are labeled as mentally unstable. "Handmaid's Tale"

[Frustratedlady]

2. I would imagine most of those drugs were for "babysitting" purposes.

Keep the kids from complaining and/or causing disruption while crying for their parents. I can't imagine parents would have brought the kids with them if they had serious psychiatric symptoms.

They would be easier to supervise if they were sleeping.

[Solly Mack]

3. K&R

[Marcuse]

4. The administration of psychotropic meds without informed consent or a court order

in the absence of an emergency could constitute the crime of battery. [link:https://www.legalmatch.com/law-library/article/medical-battery.html|

[They_Live]

5. This is kidnapping and assault on minors/children

from the article: "Court documents list Clonazepam, Divalproex, Duloxetine, Guanfacine, Latuda, Geodon, and Olanzapine among his medications." Zoloft is also mentioned.

[dixiegrrrrl]

6. Which ever doc provided the cover for those meds is doing malpractice.

I think it was Shiloh I read about whose doc was not legally credentialed with the state, and suspect that applies to other docs in the kidnapping places, because no competent doc would ever prescribe so many drugs for a kid.

[Hekate]

7. Gods damn them to whatever hells are available

[sakabatou]

8. WTF?

The fact that the admin was doing this is... gah!