Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Texas' family services are 'on the brink of collapse' after requiring child abuse investigations
Source: CNN
(CNN)A court filing from 16 current and former employees of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, along with the Texas State Employees Union, says the agency is "on the brink of collapse" following the state's decision to investigate the gender-affirming care of minors as potential child abuse.
The brief cites a "string of departures" within the agency since the directive was put in place in February, arguing remaining workers will be spread dangerously thin.
The amicus curiae (Friend of the Court) brief was filed with the state's Third District Court of Appeals, which is considering whether the policy, prompted by an opinion from Attorney General Ken Paxton and ordered by Gov. Greg Abbott, was implemented legally. The governor and DFPS are appealing the March decision of a district court judge in Austin that put enforcement of the policy on hold. In May, the Texas Supreme Court ruled that DFPS could continue investigating families suspected of seeking out gender-affirming care while the case is appealed. At the time, DFPS confirmed that some nine families were under investigation.
As DFPS case workers quit, those remaining are forced to do more work, the court filing says. They further allege that the agency has been unable to meet its "baseline of care" for years, and that the state's policy on transgender children has "driven it to a new nadir." The filing also argues the directive was enacted illegally because the state did not go through the required formal process to create a new policy. The state has argued it did not need to do so because the directive is an interpretation of existing policies, not a new rule.
The brief cites a "string of departures" within the agency since the directive was put in place in February, arguing remaining workers will be spread dangerously thin.
The amicus curiae (Friend of the Court) brief was filed with the state's Third District Court of Appeals, which is considering whether the policy, prompted by an opinion from Attorney General Ken Paxton and ordered by Gov. Greg Abbott, was implemented legally. The governor and DFPS are appealing the March decision of a district court judge in Austin that put enforcement of the policy on hold. In May, the Texas Supreme Court ruled that DFPS could continue investigating families suspected of seeking out gender-affirming care while the case is appealed. At the time, DFPS confirmed that some nine families were under investigation.
As DFPS case workers quit, those remaining are forced to do more work, the court filing says. They further allege that the agency has been unable to meet its "baseline of care" for years, and that the state's policy on transgender children has "driven it to a new nadir." The filing also argues the directive was enacted illegally because the state did not go through the required formal process to create a new policy. The state has argued it did not need to do so because the directive is an interpretation of existing policies, not a new rule.
Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/01/us/texas-gender-affirming-care-minors-agency-employees-court-filing/index.html
21 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
