Steve and Angela Austin had been searching for medical care for their daughter, Harper, for quite some time. She had been diagnosed with a genetic condition that not many doctors treated. Steve and Angela had visited multiple doctors and were now working with a pediatrician they had been seeing for a short time to get a referral to a specialist.

While working through the details of the transition, the doctor said something that made Steve and Angela uneasy.

Harper was suffering some internal bleeding, and while they were discussing what could be going wrong, the doctor said something suggesting that Harper was being abused or neglected. Steve and Angela were shocked. They told the doctor that they had been doing their utmost to care for Harper. A hospital social worker then entered and joined the doctor asking questions regarding the Austins’ home care for Harper.

After ending the appointment and leaving, Steve and Angela quickly called Heritage Defense.

The Austins were connected with one of our on-staff attorneys, who they filled in on the history of Harper’s treatment and what had happened at the doctor’s office. We promptly reached out to one of our local contact attorneys, who agreed to take the case.

Shortly after the local attorney connected with the family, Steve and Angela were contacted by CPS, who wanted to come to the home and meet with Steve and Angela. The family agreed, as long as their attorney could be present.

The CPS investigator came to the home and did a walkthrough, as well as conducting interviews with Steve and Angela. The local attorney monitored the home visit and the interviews, intervening when he thought the questions were straying from the investigation.

The local attorney then started questioning the investigator about the details of the investigation. The local attorney learned that the hospital had reported Steve and Angela after they declined a so-called voluntary assessment at the hospital’s child abuse clinic.

The local attorney asked Steve and Angela about this. Angela showed the attorney a video she had taken during this interaction, and it was clear to the attorney that the hospital was trying to force Steve and Angela into the assessment. A doctor in the video was talking to Steve and Angela, trying to coerce them into the assessment, making it sound anything but voluntary.

After the CPS investigator left, the local attorney called the hospital social worker and asked why they were attempting to do another assessment of Harper. The hospital social worker said that she believed Steve and Angela were making up Harper’s symptoms.

The local attorney told the hospital social worker that a CPS investigator had done a home assessment and did not believe any abuse or neglect was taking place. The local attorney then requested a copy of the hospital’s report to CPS and found out that the hospital had lied to CPS, saying that Harper did not have a genetic condition.

The local attorney immediately forwarded to CPS Harper’s previous medical records. They contained records from several different pediatricians confirming her genetic condition.

Later that same week, the CPS investigator reached out to the local attorney to report that a review of Harper’s medical records revealed no signs of abuse or neglect. The investigator indicated that the case would be closed by the end of the week. To help protect the family moving forward, the local attorney requested that the findings be documented in Harper’s medical records to discourage any future reports.

Steve and Angela later shared their experience with Heritage Defense:

If you are not yet a member of Heritage Defense, stories like Steve and Angela’s are a reminder of how quickly something like a routine doctor’s visit can turn into a CPS investigation.

False accusations can happen without warning, and when they do, time matters.

Heritage Defense membership gives your family 24/7 access to experienced attorneys who will step in and defend your parental rights.

Join Heritage Defense today and have peace of mind knowing you are not alone if the unthinkable happens.