A community of 30,000 US Transcriptionist serving Medical Transcription Industry

Did anyone see the new article about the pregnant teen who sued her parents?

Posted: Feb 19, 2013

So, 16-year-old girl gets pregnant by her 16-year-old boyfriend. Her parents were trying to force her to have an abortion. She refused, so they took away her car, refused to support her and she had to work two jobs (for punishment, according to her). She went to a local law practice, who represented her, pro bono, and she won her case. The judge ordered that her parents have no say over what she does for the entirety of her pregnancy. He also ordered that the parents return her car (that they are paying for) and pay 1/2 the costs of supporting her, including her medical bills and anything that has to do with having the baby.

I really think this is ABSURD and I believe that is one of the major problems with so many teen pregnancies today. I'm not that old (38), but when I was growing up, if a teenager got pregnant, she was an ADULT, plain and simple. We knew this. I knew a couple of people who did become pregnant and they had to move from their parents immediately. They moved in with their boyfriend and the two of them had to work and take care of themselves. This didn't keep us from sex, but it taught us that WE are responsible for our actions, so we better be prepared and we better make sure whoever it was we were sleeping with would be there for us as well.

Even my mother, she got pregnant with me at age 16 and she had to move from the house, get a job, finish high school and she married my dad. But, you see today so many kids who get pregnant, still live with mom and dad who buy just about everything for the baby and the teen has no recourse for the actions. A family member of mine has a daughter who got pregnant the first time at age 14 and didn't even know who the father was. She still lived with mom, and mom has the baby more than the teen does. She is now 16 years old and pregnant with baby number two. It is ridiculous!

I think the judge was way off on this one. The part about her parents forcing her to actually work, as "punishment" is crazy. She should have to work her butt off and pay for a child. Children are expensive, why should her parents have to pay for this? What do you all think?

;

She's not an adult, and you can't - force an abortion on someone!

[ In Reply To ..]
Do you want to live in a country where we can force young girls to have abortions? I don't.

She's not 18 yet, so her parents are still responsible for her. I think returning the car is a bit over-the-top, but if she is using it to get to work...

My point was....... - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
Definitely not that I agree in forcing anyone to get an abortion. That is insane! The point is....when I was growing up, the pregnancy statistics were far less. A lot of it had to do with the fact that, as I said, you get pregnant your parents have you leave, plain and simple. They didn't buy you a car, they didn't buy the baby a new nursery and take care of the baby like they do.

I understand the law says you are responsible for her, BUT that is where I feel the problem lies. OUR PARENTS parented us. No judge or law was imposed to tell them how to do it.

If she got pregnant then she should have to work, she should have to pay for her car or whatever she needs. She decided to be an adult, regardless of her age.

Actually teenage pregnancy has decreased - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
Maybe it seemed like they were less because many times, back in the day, and when I was growing up as well, things were done that no one ever "knew" a teen was pregnant, for precisely the reason this young lady sued... because parents would either force them into abortions or ship them off to homes for unwed mothers, and teen pregnancy just wasn't out in the open like it is now.

It's beyond me why a teenager would want to get pregnant and refuse birth control offered by her parents. That just makes no sense to me at all. My daughter didn't even lose her virginity until she was in her senior year of college. Her plan was to become a well-educated, independent individual, and start a family when she was able to provide properly for the children.

I'm not saying every girl should aspire to go to college, etc. Being a mom is great, but golly... even thinking about getting pregnant by choice as a teenager is something I can't comprehend.

I think - anon

[ In Reply To ..]
A lot of it comes down to a parenting issue.

I think a lot of teens (girls especially) go out, run amok, and get themselves pregnant because they are not getting enough quality attention at home.

"not getting enough quality attention at home." - that is a horrible thing to say..sm

[ In Reply To ..]
Really? Do you know the parents of these teen girls personally? That is an awful thing to say. I had 3 daughters and one was in honor roll all throughout school, graduated and went to college (my oldest). My middle one was not on honor roll, but she did great in school, very popular, many friends and currently in college. My youngest not so much.

My girls had everything they wanted and needed. I was there with them every single day they came home from school, helping them with homework, fixed them home cooked meals every night. Got them in the bath before bed, made them hot breakfast before school in the mornings and dropped them off at school myself. No buses, very little daycare. I was home with my kids all the time doing stuff with them, spending time with them. Taking them to the park, renting and watching movies with them, at all the parent teacher conferences and open houses at school.

My mother often warned me that I was spoiling my youngest daughter. I didn't think I was, if anything I wanted to spend as much time with her as possible because I did not want to miss out on anything as with all 3 of my kids, but my youngest was the last, as I had gotten my tubes tied the day after giving birth to her and I knew she was going to be my last baby and I did not want to miss a moment of her growing up.

When she turned 14 she started getting in trouble in school, I was constantly getting called to the school for her behavior. I did not understand it. She had counseling at school and when that did not help, I got her in therapy at a local clinic. I took her to every session was unable to sit in on all of them, but took her. Come to find out she had dysthymia and ADHD. They put her on medication for it, but she still acted out and eventually ended up in a behavioral disorder programm at school with other kids who had trouble.

Her trouble was not just with school; however, she started acting out at home, mouthing off, not listening to me, sneaking out the house, drinking, having sex etc. I did everything I could to no avail. The one thing my parents and her therapist told me was to not blame myself. My mother always commended me on being an outstanding mother and assured me that I have done the best I can. My other two daughters did just fine, only my youngest has these problems. I could go on, but no time to go into detail, as I could write a book on this subject. But you are no therapist and I am willing to bet you have no children of your own because, especially teenagers because if you did, you would not have made such a general statement.

I agree - the 2nd sm

[ In Reply To ..]
I certainly wasn't mother of the year, although I was much like you in spending time, etc., but I was not strict by any means. Heck, my daughter did her first load of laundry when she went away to college! I doubt she still can put a complete meal together even ;-) and she's been on her own with her own place for going on 2 years now.

She was just born with a good head on her shoulders. I do believe parental guidance does play a role in how a kid turns out (the old environment versus genetic argument), but I don't agree that a good parent should be blamed for a troubled child.

The reason I posted in the first place was because I just couldn't wrap my mind around why some teenagers want to have babies (as opposed to accidental teen pregnancy). I figured maybe they just don't understand the responsibility and what a life-altering event it is.

Then I remembered an exercise all the kids in my daughter's middle school had to do (even the boys). Throughout the year each was given one of those babies that has a computer chip that makes it cry, etc., and can sense when it's being abused or neglected. My daughter just about went nuts taking care of the baby (and it was only 1 night!). I think this is an excellent program that can bring it home for an impressionable teen.

I wish you the best with your daughter :-)

I think.... - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
First of all that something has to be in the foods to make kids behave the way they do today and it is with a combination of the "less than strict" parenting of today.

I am in my mid 30s and almost daily my husband and I have the conversation of how kids are so different today. You see kids yelling, raging, back-talking, punching wall, etc. I NEVER saw a kid behave that way when I was growing up and I am in my mid 30s. I honestly don't believe I would be here to talk about it if I had behaved that way.

My parents spanked me when I misbehaved. I KNEW that pregnancy was not allowed before marriage. I don't know what would have happened to me had I got pregnant, but I sure didn't want to find out. Even when I moved out, I lived with a boyfriend for five years and wasn't married and still didn't dare get pregnant. Even as an adult, I KNEW the rules and I followed them. I knew that I must finish high school, must go to college and THEN I could get married and have a baby if I so chose.

I don't feel that my parents were abusive, but I sure got spanked when I acted up. I don't have the same strict attitude when it comes to my kids and they sometimes act in ways that amazes me. My kids are pretty good kids, don't get me wrong, but they DEFINITELY have no fear of their parents as I did.

I have much more compassion when it comes to discipline than my parents did. If I was somewhere with my parents and misbehaved at 8:00 in the morning and my parents told me I was getting a spanking when we got home, it didn't matter if we got home at midnight and I had behaved the rest of the day, I got that spanking. Discipline was ALWAYS consistent and never faltered. Me, on the other hand, I tend to do a lot of "threatening" with the kids and often times I don't act on it. My parents never did that.

I don't know how times can change so much in one generation, but they have.

something in the food? - nm

[ In Reply To ..]

it's very hard to get oneself pregnant - boys have to be involved

[ In Reply To ..]
I actually don't favor the term "teen pregnancy". It's a euphemism. Teens at large do not get pregnant. The only teens that get pregnant are females. If we could address this, we might be able to address the behavior of young males. Head on, if you will.

If she got pregnant the first time, how did she - not know who the father was?

[ In Reply To ..]
The girl you mentioned who was 14.

It wasn't the first time she had sex and she apparently slept with many unprotected at age 14. - OP

[ In Reply To ..]
x

Shoot low, sheriff - ...

[ In Reply To ..]
x

I agree with you 100%. My 17-year-old daughter - will be 18 the end of

[ In Reply To ..]
next month. She is pregnant and had moved away from home, not with the father of baby, but with friends. Now she is back at home, father of baby lives 2 hours away and the baby is due in May and she has no clue what shes gonna do with her life. Im so angry I dont know what to do.

I had her on birth control, the NuvaRing. She would not keep it in like she was suppose to and would not go and get her refills. I had initially asked doc to put on the five year Mirena, but because my daughter was refusing, they could not do it against her wishes and one year later she was pregnant.

that is the real problem with teen girls - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
My daughter was in the "friends pregnant circle" where all 8 for the girls got pregnanat within a few weeks of eachother. STUPIDITY. If I have to pay for her butt, I should be allowed to insist on Mirena, Depo, or any other of MY CHOICES. They are not adults till they are 18. They are not responsible for long after that, but if they are not "legally" responsible for anything they do, why cant we make their medical decisions?

This is absurd!

A car is a privledge. Not a right. She is not entitled to a car unless she earns it. If I were the parents, I would refuse to comply with that court order for sure. No way Jose!

that is the real problem with teen girls - EXACTLY. - if I could

[ In Reply To ..]
like your post 1000x I would. You hit the nail on the head when you said:

"If I have to pay for her butt, I should be allowed to insist on Mirena, Depo, or any other of MY CHOICES."

That is so true. Had I been able to make the decision to get her the Mirena this would never have happened. Once these girls turn 18 then fine, let them remove it if they choose. But for the time they are under my roof and my responsibility, I should have a say so. These are innocent human lives we are talking about. These babies are not asking to enter this world prematurely.

pregnant teen - Effie

[ In Reply To ..]
This whole "SUE" thing was ridiculous.. no one could force her to have an abortion.. all she had to do was move out and do it on her own... thats what she and the boyfriend didn't want.. they want for her parents to have to foot the bill..

And I agree, a car is not a "NEED".

pregnant teen - how I see it

[ In Reply To ..]
I think that many parents are over protective and do not talk with their teens about sex and such.

We always talked about everything with our teenager, and luckily, all 3 are doing well.

I am not saying that people here on this list don't talk to their teenagers, but I noticed that with a lot of parents that they would not talk about sex to them. That is just wrong.

My parents sure didn't! - I stole the car

[ In Reply To ..]
and drove myself to the clinic for birth control. I was still a virgin when I did it, but when I lost my virginity a few months later, I was prepared, no thanks to them!

I have a 2yo daughter and this conversation - is making my stomach turn.

[ In Reply To ..]
She is just never leaving the house until she is about 25. I really do feel sorry for the babies. They just are not going to get a fair shake at life.

The judge was not way off but s/m - me2

[ In Reply To ..]
Actually under the law a pregnant minor child is medically emancipated, meaning she makes the legal decisions regarding her pregnancy and how she wants to proceed with it, however she is not financially emancipated at the same time, and somebody gets stuck financially by whatever decisions she makes regarding her pregnancy.

The reason for the car decision may be due to the fact that she alleged that her parents withdrew her from high school (also a legal right of pregnant minors to complete high school) and she went on to say that she could not attend high school, (which she says that she wants to complete) or work without that car, and I suspect that the judge ordered the parents to give the car back to her so that she can attend high school which is another right under the law regarding pregnant minors.

Regarding the parents being required to pay 1/2 of the medical costs for her pregnancy, there would be a couple of avenues that they could pursue, one of those being notifying Child Services of the minor child's pregnancy, because having sex with a minor is a criminal act. The also underage boy, whether charged with a criminal act or not, then becomes involved in the situation which, due to his minor status, in turn involves the boy's parents in the financial aspect of this pregnancy.

Additionally, as her suit alleges that she is living with the paternal grandparents, if she was living with the grandparents at the time of conception the grandparents become involved financially as she was "living under their roof" and not "living under the roof" of her parents, and that makes a huge difference legally as to who is financially responsible for the pregnant minor's medical expenses, expenses that could be catastrophic to the girl's parents if there are problems with the pregnancy or problems with the baby after birth.

If I were that girl's parents, the next thing that I would do would be to notify Child Services in order to attempt to protect my finances, because they could end up being financially wiped out, and their are other parties involved in this due to the underage status of both the girl and the boy.

Similar Messages:

Mar 05, 2013
DAKOTA DUNES, South Dakota (Reuters) - A year ago, Beef Products Inc. had four state-of-the art plants, more than 1,300 employees and was expanding aggressively. The meat company was the leading maker of "lean finely textured beef," a low-fat product made from chunks of beef, including trimmings, and exposed to tiny bursts of ammonium hydroxide to kill E. coli and other dangerous contaminants. Few Americans realized the product was a mainstay of fast-food burgers, school lunch tacos and home ...

Jun 19, 2012
Going to start getting interesting. http://www.nationaljournal.com/politics/rnc-faces-suit-from-paul-backers-20120619?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter ...

Jul 16, 2010
My 17-year-old daughter called me on her break (she works in fast food) and said her manager had walked up behind her and slapped her arm, then scolded her about something she was doing wrong. I could tell she had been crying, but it was 2 hours after the incident had happened. I asked her if it just hurt her feelings or if she slapped her hard enough that it hurt. She said it was hard enough that it stung for about 5 minutes. How upset would you be if it were your ...

Jul 24, 2013
NRO being sued by climate scientist, Michael Mann. "Mann has been the target of numerous investigations into his work and has been cleared of any wrongdoing every time. Since some of these investigations were prompted by NRO [National Review Online] and CEI [Competitive Enterprise Institute], they had to know he was cleared of academic fraud, yet they continued to accuse him of it. Oops." "Unsurprisingly, both the NRO and CEI were unhappy with this and tried to block the lawsuit using SLAP ...

Mar 27, 2012
We just found out yesterday that my 15-year-old son who has perfectly straight teeth, still has his left canine baby tooth and an impacted adult tooth above it. I wasn't given much information other than he probably needs braces. I've researched it on Google and it sounds horrible. Braces, bracketing, putting a gold chain on the impacted tooth to pull it down, surgeries, several years of treatment. Has anyone had anything like this at all happen? It sounds ...

Sep 30, 2010
The common threads between the following cases are gay sexual orientation, both real and perceived, bullying and harassment, desperate parents, school officials turning a blind eye and a viral virtual environment plastered with homophobic rants in blogs, on Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and alongside broadcast media in the wake of reporting on DADT unconstitutionality and repeal. Seth Walsh, 13, died yesterday after 9 days on life support following a successful suicide attempt by hangin ...

Sep 15, 2015
Story at link, but teen sent home from school over T-shirt reading, "No one knows I'm a Lesbian." I cannot believe our country has become filled with over sensitive whiny babies who can't filter out what they don't agree with. I've seen far worse on T-shirts than what was printed on this young lady's T-shirt. I just don't understand how this T-shirt could be considered offensive or disruptive. Link: https://www.yahoo.com/parenting/ ...

Dec 30, 2009
Hi everyone! I'm coming up on my 18th week of pregnancy and I'm starting to get a little belly. For those of you who have worked through your pregnancy, how did you deal with your growing belly while typing? I know that for me, any little position change completely throws me off and I get sore a lot quicker than I would if I could be in MY position. Are there any tips or tricks in dealing with a pregnant belly while transcribing. I'm just dreading the ...

Feb 03, 2010
I saw a girl who was 8 months pregnant but just had the tinest little pooch showing. I'll bet it was her first. And, of course, that last month can be a real killer for weight gain. I did that with DS#1, but had a HUGE belly with DS#2. My skin was stretched so tight I felt like if someone poked it with a pin, I'd go flying around the room like a balloon does when you let the air out. ...

Apr 19, 2011
Just in case some were wondering how the stray cat that was pregnant is doing... We have not seen her in a few days. She was getting pretty big and we were thinking she would have them any time now. We set up boxes and old towels in different areas just in case. She looked pretty content, we would look out to find her laying on our lawn in the sun with her big belly :-) and then at night time curled up on our porch, but she has not been around for a few days now. There i ...

Apr 01, 2010
What is wrong with this picture? What should be done? Now I heard, but I can't verify it yet, that another rancher was killed yesterday. Should troops be sent to secure the border? Should illegals be shot on sight (as some ranchers are ready to do)? Rancher killed article here: NEAR PORTAL - Neighbor ranchers of the slain Robert Krentz say they had been warning U.S. officials for years that somebody would be killed if they didn't gain control of this dangerous smu ...

Apr 15, 2017
Companies controlled by Israeli mining magnate Beny Steinmetz sued fellow billionaire George Soros, claiming he cost them at least $10 billion through a defamation campaign that stripped them of rights to an iron ore deposit in Guinea and other business opportunities around the world. Soros funded law firms, transparency groups, investigators and government officials in Guinea in a coordinated effort to ensure BSG Resources Ltd. lost the rights to the Simandou deposit in April 2014, BSGR said ...

May 25, 2017
When it comes to food, it turns out you can sue over just about anything these days. A California woman is suing the makers of Jelly Belly jelly beans, claiming she was tricked into believing one of the company's candy products was free of sugar. The plaintiff, Jessica Gomez of San Bernadino County, first brought the case against the candy company earlier this year, blaming "fancy phrasing" for her confusion over the ingredients, according to Legal News Line. Gomez purchased Jell ...

Jul 12, 2017
"She Persisted" Christopher Kimberley has filed a federal lawsuit in New York claiming Chelsea Clinton and Penguin Random House stole his book idea. ...

May 20, 2010
She's 47 years old. IMO, that's just too old to be having a baby. What do y'all think? **Please don't get me wrong, I absolutely love John Travolta and yes a child is a wonderful, miraculous gift...As I heard it this morning...she is pregnant, not a surrogate. They've been through so much heartbreak, to risk bringing another child into this world, who has is at a higher risk for having Down syndrome or some other anomoly; let's all face it, she's 47...her risk ...

Dec 30, 2009
I would certainly want someone to tell me, but you have to realize I live in an area where a lot of parents allow underage drinking. This particular mother has given liquor to teens, however, I am quite sure she wouldn't like oxycontin and oxycodone. I do know this for fact that the kid uses. My son wanted me to tell the parents and then he changed his mind but after I thought about it, I feel if something bad happened, I would feel I should have said something. Please he ...

Mar 02, 2010
17-year-old, straight A student, out for a jog and if this is her, they have found her body buried in a shallow grave ... discarded as if she never mattered to anyone in this world! I am so sick of what is happening to our kids in this country with pedophiles, etc., some even at the hands of their own parents!! We need to develop an "arm" of the justice system where these people can be taken out back by someone and beaten until they are bloody from head to toe, pour honey on them and allo ...

Sep 07, 2010
A high school student in Northglenn is upset that campus security told him to remove the large American flags flying from his pickup truck because it might make others uncomfortable. Jeremy Stoppel told 7NEWS he got a ticket at Northglenn High School last Thursday for squealing his tires. He said he deserved that ticket and deserved having his parking lot pass suspended for two weeks.But he's upset that campus security then told him he can't fly his 3 feet by 5 feet flags in the bed of ...

Nov 26, 2012
Below is an "AP" article discussing the death of a 16-year-old at the Mexican border previously discussed in posts below. The incident actually occurred on October 10, 2012. I also agree it is horrific that a 16-year-old lost his life under any circumstances. Unfortunately, if you read the article, the incident was not iniated because of rock throwing, but rather because a truck load of narcotics was abandoned by two individuals and the individuals were running back to Mexico.&n ...

Jan 26, 2010
The teacher is very sweet. She tells the kids in class funny stories about her son and she has put up a chart so the kids and follow the baby's growth in her tummy. She has shared her sonogram picture with the kids, etc. Anyway, one of the moms of the kids in the class has decided that it is not appropriate for the teacher to be talking to her class about her "personal" life and she called the principal and complained. The principal in turn has talked to the teacher ...

Apr 18, 2011
By LINDSEY TANNER 04/18/11 06:28 AM ET CHICAGO -- Suicide attempts by gay teens – and even straight kids – are more common in politically conservative areas where schools don't have programs supporting gay rights, a study involving nearly 32,000 high school students found. Those factors raised the odds and were a substantial influence on suicide attempts even when known risk contributors like depression and being bul ...

Oct 04, 2010
This Senator is crazy! Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) attempted to convince pastors that economic issues are moral issues at the Greater Freedom Rally at a church in Spartanburg, South Carolina yesterday, imploring them to help conservatives retake Congress in November. In addition to reiterating anti-choice talking points on abortion and backing "traditional marriage," according to the Spartanburg Herald-Journal, the senator went further and "said if someone is openly homosexual, they shouldn ...

Jan 25, 2017
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The producer of "Hamilton" has been sued by a blind theatergoer who claimed that the blockbuster Broadway musical violates federal law by failing to offer services to help blind and visually impaired people enjoy the show. In his complaint on Monday, Denver resident Mark Lasser said Hamilton Uptown LLC and Nederlander Organization, which runs the Richard Rodgers Theatre in Manhattan where "Hamilton" is performed, could easily provide live audio narratives to help visually ...

Oct 04, 2016
is in critical condition after being assaulted this weekend. According to Sylacauga Police Chief Kelley Johnson, Brian Ogle was assaulted in an Ace Hardware parking lot following Sylacauga High School’s homecoming game on Friday. When authorities arrived on the scene, they discovered Ogle beaten and bleeding from the head. He was airlifted to the University of Alabama Birmingham Hospital where tests revealed three skull fractures and trauma to his shoulder. Ogle remains in crit ...

Jan 13, 2010
LOUISVILLE, KY—At first glance, high school senior Lucas Faber, 18, seems like any ordinary gay teen. He's a member of his school's swing choir, enjoys shopping at the mall, and has sex with other males his age. But lately, a growing worry has begun to plague this young gay man. A gnawing feeling that, deep down, he may be a fundamentalist, right-wing Christian. "I don't know what's happening to me," Faber admitted to reporters Monday. "It's like I get these weird ...

Feb 10, 2011
My son in law and I have a pretty good relationship. My daughter and her family spend a lot of time here, driving in to visit quite often. The granddaughter is going to be turning 6 next month and they want to have her party here at my house. My SIL's parents called and said they would like to fly in and surprise him for the party, arrive a couple of days before to do some shopping and help getting the house ready. They asked if they could stay here, and that's fine, ...

Nov 13, 2010
There was a little boy on my son's soccer team whose parents (mom and the boyfriend of the week-I think there have been three in the 6 weeks he has been playing) are too lazy to get him to very many practices, so I offered to pick him up and bring him. The newest boyfriend said that the reason that he has only been to one game is because it is too difficult for them to get up early enough to bring him to an 8 a.m. or 9 a.m. game. Last week, I brought him home with me Friday nig ...

Sep 01, 2016
There are so many lessons that we as parents want to teach our children, but I'd love to hear your answer to this question, based on a hypothetical scenario: You are the parent of a 7-year-old child. You've learned from your doctor that you have a terminal illness, with at most a year left to shape your child's future. There's no time for anything but the essentials. You must spend the time wisely. What one, or at most two, character trait(s) would, to you, be the mo ...

Feb 02, 2016
You might have heard it: "How does a child spell love?" T - I - M - E. Not M - O - N - E - Y. Not S - T - U -F -F. Is that a great reminder to us, or what? ...

Dec 10, 2009
Why can't I have a dad who helps me sometimes instead of me having to always be the one helping him? I need to VENT! My dad is a bum who basically lives off others. Since my mom divorced him, due to the fact she was footing all the bills, it was either he had to get a job and take care of himself or live however he could. Well, he is determined not to get a job. So he lived in a shed for a while. When I asked him why he didn't ask a certain man I kne ...