“The state has no respect for Black families. Tennessee does not love Black children. It is 2023, not 1823, I am here to tell you. We will fight for our children, and we’ll win .”
by Anita Wadhwani (Tennessee Lookout
After a traffic stop by a Black family, five children were taken from that family and will remain with the Department of Children’s Services.
Bianca Clayborne was pulled over and Deonte Wilkins was stopped by the Tennessee Highway Patrol because they were driving in the left lane of I-24 and tinted their windows. They were trying to get from their Georgia home to a Chicago family funeral last month.
A search of the family’s vehicle revealed five grams of marijuana. This is a misdemeanor under Tennessee law. Williams was arrested. Clayborne was cited along with Clayborne’s five children. “The mother had custody when we were done,” said a THP colonel to Channel 2 News.
DCS took Clayborne’s children six hours later as Williams waited for her to bond Williams.
Courtney Teasley, the attorney for the family, stated that the family had been without their children for 30 days. This was in response to the closure of the Coffee County Justice Center. Teasley pointed out that the youngest child is a breast-feeding infant.
Teasley stated that Clayborne will be required to undergo a hair follicle testing. These tests can be used to trace drug use back several months.
Clayborne and Williams both submitted to urine drug screenings a week after the children were taken.
Williams was positive for THC (the active ingredient in marijuana). Clayborne tested negative. Both Clayborne and Clayborne were asked to undergo a rapid hair follicle testing. They both came back positive for methamphetamines as well as oxycodone, fentanyl, and methamphetamines.
Both parents denied using these drugs. A Coffee County court administrator stated they were not admissible in court. An expert also said that rapid hair follicle test results can produce false positives. Clayborne and Williams were nevertheless accused of child abuse by DCS. They used the results from the rapid test in court filings. DCS claimed that the children, aged 7, 5, 3, 2, and 4 months, had said that their father took them to drug deals.
Williams called these claims “absolute lunacy.”
DCS claims were filed in court filings one week after the children were taken.
Teasley refused to give any further details regarding the hearing, including the reason for the mother’s hair follicle testing, citing a court ruling that prohibits her from doing so.
They also refused to comment and asked for privacy after placing their children in a waiting car.
The parents were present at courthouse appearances. Five children were there, with the youngest children being held in the arms of their fathers or their mothers’ hands. They were originally split up and placed in three foster homes. However, Nashville-area relatives have agreed to take care of them.
A total of more than half a dozen DCS officials, including its chief legal counsel, deputy commissioner, and communications director, were also present at the small county courthouse. This was a rare high-level attendance for a juvenile court case in a county county.
Theeda Murphy (executive director of No Exceptions Prison Collective), who supported the family, said that DCS itself has been subject to intense public scrutiny regarding the treatment of children it cares for, including the lack of suitable placements that have left children sleeping on the floors of offices for months.
She said, “I am here today because DCS keeps children in offices and hallways, but hasn’t the nerve to come in an say that these children are in danger.” “They silence anyone who dares to speak up about what they are doing.
She said, “The state Tennessee doesn’t respect Black families.” “The state has no affection for Black children. It is 2023, not 1823, I’m here to say that. We will fight for our children, and we will win.
Responding to criticisms that the family received disparate treatment for being Black, Alex Denis, spokesperson for DCS, highlighted the diversity of the agency and the contributions of front-line workers to the removal of the five children.
She said that “the case managers that are involved in this case, they do have diverse backgrounds”, noting that almost 35 percent of agency caseworkers, and half of the deputy commissioners, are African-American.
After a Tennessee Lookout report last Wednesday, the case received widespread attention. The Tennessee Democratic Caucus demanded that the agency release the children to their parents immediately. DCS filed Motions within hours to refer the couple and their lawyers for criminal prosecution in order to reveal details about juvenile court proceedings. The outcome of these motions was not disclosed Monday.
Tennessee Lookout first published this story.
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The post Children Taken from Family After Marijuana Arrest Remain in Tennessee State Custody After Hearing appeared originally on Marijuana Moment.
