The Case of Baby A (AKA Save Lexi)

l am sorry I haven’t been around for a bit, stories had calmed down in the news, the Hodgins gave up their fight for Sonya and I wanted to make sure that she had the peace she deserves.   As I have heard nothing about her, I’m going to assume that she is living the life of a typical child with her family outside the limelight.

Congratulations Sonya!

Then the wagons started to circle around another case and as the names (Lori Alvino McGill being one of them and Johnston Moore being another) seemed familiar I went to look for it.

THEN as something else seemed familiar, I looked back a few years.

Choctaw Father Thwarted by Foster Couple

This was the story that had come up.  I remembered this story and reread the facts and then went to the Court of Appeals documentation right here.   Bear in mind that the story referenced above was from 2014 so that has been going on for at LEAST the two years that the public relations people are talking about.

The claim is that she was placed in the home and now she’s going to family she doesn’t know and is being pulled from the only home she has ever known.  In fact, it is so cruel that they couldn’t tell her she was leaving.   Or their other children that she was leaving.   (I have a VERY difficult time believing this and I’ll show you why)

First myth to bust is that the Choctaw nation just now stepped up to address issues with the child.   The Choctaw knew of this case from the get go.   Here is what was stated in the COA document:

” The tribe consented to the girl’s placement with a non-Indian foster family to facilitate efforts to reunify the girl with her father.”

and

“After reunification efforts failed, the father, the tribe, and the Department of Children and Family Services (Department) recommended that the girl be placed in Utah with a non-Indian couple who are extended family of the father.”

This was within a year.   The Pages were at no time pre adoptive parents nor was adoption in the cards for them.   To further prove this, I give you the following statement from the COA document.   “By the time Alexandria was placed with the P.s in December 2011, her extended family in Utah, the R.s, were aware of dependency proceeding and had spoken to representatives of the tribe about their interest in adopting Alexandria. The tribe agreed to initial foster placement with the P.s because it was close to father at a time when he was working on reunification. If reunification services were terminated, the tribe recommended placement with the R.s in Utah.”

Does this sound like a family that just showed up out of nowhere?   Does this sound like the situation should have been a shock to them?   The system was working as it was supposed to do.    When reunification failed (for a multitude of reasons) then the child was to be placed with a tribal approved extended family member in Utah who were more then willing to take on the child.

In addition as also stated in the Court documents:  “The Department consistently reminded the P.s that Alexandria is an Indian child subject to the ICWA placement preferences. At some point after father’s reunification efforts failed, the P.s decided they wanted to adopt Alexandria. They discussed the issue with the Department social worker, who advised them that the tribe had selected the R.s as the planned adoptive placement.”

Now lest you say “but they were strangers to her,” this is also stated in the court documents, “The R.s expressed their interest in adopting Alexandria as early as October 2011. They were initially told that to avoid confusing Alexandria, they should not contact her while father attempted to reunify. If reunification efforts failed, they were the tribe’s first choice for adoption. The family has approval for Alexandria to be placed with them under the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC). The R.s first visited Alexandria shortly after the court terminated father’s reunification services. Since then, they video chat with Alexandria about twice a week and have had multiple in-person visits in Los Angeles. The P.s refer to the R.s as family from Utah. At one point, when Alexandria asked if she was going to Utah, the P.s responded that they did not know for sure, but it was possible.” – so no, her family has not been a stranger to her and there have been visits even through all of the upheaval that the Page’s have put her through.   Granted, at the time what was also testified was:  “Russell and Summer P. testified that before and following a recent visit by the R.s, most likely in June 2013, Alexandria was upset and said she did not want to visit with the R.s and did not like it when they came to visit. Russell P. acknowledged that the change in Alexandria’s feelings coincided with the birth of a new baby in the P. family and a transition to a new therapist for Alexandria.”   (All of this took place when she was three and she has had visits and Skype calls ever since.)

Does this sound like a situation where the foster parents did not know what was going to happen or how the system was supposed to work?

The transition was supposed to take place in April 2013 and was agreed upon by ALL parties as stated in the COA document, “As ordered by the court on April 12, 2013, the Department arranged a conference call to discuss a transition plan in anticipation of a possible court order directing placement with the R.s. The call lasted 90 minutes and included the P.s in Los Angeles; the R.s from Utah; Ruth Polcino, Alexandria’s therapist at United American Indian Involvement; Polcino’s supervisor, Jennifer Lingenfelter; Alexandria’s attorney, Kerri Anderson; Department social worker Roberta Javier, as well as two other Department employees. The participants agreed on a transition plan that involved a relatively short transition, with both families meeting for breakfast or at a park, explaining to Alexandria that she is going to with the R.s, who are family who love Alexandria very much and will take good care of her. The P.s would reassure Alexandria that they love her and will always be a part of her family.”    This is why I don’t believe that the courts told them to hide the truth from this child.   Because these plans were put in place all the way back in 2013.

From there, the foster parents have kept this in court up until now.   And now they are calling out that this is the “Only home she has ever known” and implying to the media that she is going to perfect strangers that will traumatize her forever.

From there, the comments have been fast and fierce and like in the Veronica case some of the most racist are coming out of the woodwork.

What is more disturbing was the handover yesterday.   Troy Dunn and MULTIPLES of television cameras and protesters all around the family.   Johnston Moore (who I referred to in previous entries – An Open Letter to Focus On the Family and iCareAboutOrphans Regarding Orphan Care and Multiple Organizations: One Purpose as two of them is the Save Lexi moderator and has further pulled me away from any support of Focus on the Family until they cut all ties with him.   He put out the home address on Facebook and encourage protesters to come to the home of this foster child.

Troy Dunn – referred to on a previous occasion – And Now Troy Dunn? – has also inserted himself into several other cases.   He was told to stop filming and that it was illegal and yet he continues to do it.

THEN on a hunch I did a search.   There is a website in process – yesterday I didn’t get screenshots but here it is today now that they have a horrific handover picture for the banner (similar to the Save Veronica Rose site)

Here is the start of it.

Like I said, they did at least get a good shot here.   And they didn’t put her face up but that is still a foster child who is supposed to be protected UNDER THE LAW.   Her privacy is supposed to be sacred.

A little whois search on godaddy revealed some answers but brought more questions.

I whited out the phone numbers but I didn’t the address because here is the super strange thing about that address.   (and the registration date on it was Sunday March 20, 2016)   This address goes not to an office building but to a virtual office building.

Executive Suites in Oklahoma City – also this is where Kendall Sykes has an office on the same block.   Nothing about this organization at all.

Who is funding this?   Can someone bring that up because I’m getting a strong sense of deja vu.   Also no sign of whoever this Heather Parker is.   It’s odd.

Whether or not Jessica Munday is involved is waiting to be seen but with all the other players including Lisa Morris (You Will Know Them By Their Fruits: Why I Don’t Believe the CAICW is a Christian Organization) as well as several others, I am not surprised if she helped to orchestrate some of this but no proof.

And then, the person who is speaking for the child’s best interest according to herself?   Lori Alvino McGill – Lori Alvino McGill – A “Rising Star” Falling Rapidly – the woman who herself drunk posted a link accusing Dusten Brown of using several names and calling both Veronica and her older sister “illegitimate spawn”.

At this point, thankfully this child is on her way back to Utah with her family.    Unfortunately though, the trauma she experienced with the way that the foster parents and others chose to handle this transition is problematic.   Whether or not the foster parents are being used or decided to go ahead and choose to ally themselves with the forces that they did, it is not something I feel good about.

Save Lexi?   Save our Lexi?   After the display yesterday and seeing how that transition was handled I’m not sure that she needs to be saved from her family.   Because that video was horrendous.    If these foster parents still keep their resource license when this is over I really really want to know why.