Their attorneys pulled up all the paperwork for me. So, they decided to place the child for adoption. He was told by many people in DHS, These are not the kids you want to just jump into. Thats why Im angry. As a dad, it was fight or flight, Harris toldKTHV in an interview. Justin Harris in Nevada. About us - Harris Residential. This is hypocrisy at its highest level. By subscribing and supporting our efforts, you'll not only have access to all of our articles, but you'll also be helping us hire more writers to expand our coverage. 'Upon the advice of both a psychiatrist and a pediatrician, they were forced to move the children to the home of trusted friends, who had a lot of experience with children with reactive attachment disorder. I don't care what the people of Arkansas think about me. or. They got therapy every day play therapy, occupational therapy, anger management.. Then, you have an elected leader who represents an antigovernment agenda; yet, he makes his living off of government funding. Rep. Harris confirmed this in his press conference, saying he and his wife had been cleared of all charges. Instead, after six months Mr. Harris and his wife re-homed the two girls like pets that didn't work out. Young then became involved with a man who cooked and sold methamphetamine; a fire started by his meth lab provoked a police investigation that sent that man, too, to prison. ABC4 Newscasts; ABC4 Live Events; Video Center; Podcasts In fact, a past DHS employee at the time came to us and confirmed that the plan at DHS was to seek abandonment charges if we returned the girls.". The Harts kept the two younger sisters until October 2012, and their descriptions of the girls behavior throughout those 18 months stands in stark contrast to the harrowing picture painted by Justin Harris. Together, we can continue to hold the powerful accountable and bring important stories to light. In the KARK interview, Justin Harris noted that he and his future wife met at Childrens House. The older one was very protective of the younger one.. We [started fostering] because of our Christianity. Male adoptee born on Aug 17, 1982 in Orlando, Florida Adoption record added Today at 12:55pm Female adoptee born on Jan 3, 1983 in Yakima, Washington Adoption record added Today at 9:41am Male adoptee born on Jan 1988 in Tulsa, Oklahoma Adoption record added Today at 9:31am We started through our church. While his resignation certainly would not change these atrocities, Justin Harris has proven that he is not fit to hold the responsibility of writing our laws, and we hope that Gov. Goldsborough said the Harrises showed her a picture of [Mary] where theyre like, You can see the demon rising from her back, and it just looked like a little 6-year-old to me. [Mary was 4 or 5.] It may be in the report you have, but just in case the minors identities are known, we dont want to be specific for their own protection.. If the checker at Walmart asked if she wanted to go home with her, she would. If Harris account of the girls as violent and threatening holds little water, however, the other half of his narrative presents a more immediately sympathetic defense: DHS is not a friend to parents in need. Arkansas State Rep. Justin Harris and his wife held a press conference to address the fallout related to his adoption of three young girls. Harris denied those accusations. Now, Im really good with kids with sexual trauma. In weak moments a parent might feel like the child is less than, not deserving of compassion and basic dignities (albeit these thoughts happen mostly after much physical aggression, sexually acting out towards parents and kids, homicidal thoughts or statements, hours-long tantrums, etc.). Despite what you may have read, we reached out to DHS numerous times and were met with nothing but hostility. He grew emotional describing his dilemma: We were threatened with possible abandonment charges and potentially losing our own boys as well if we returned the girls to DHS custody. The former DHS employee confirmed this account. Other sources confirmed to theTimesthat Marsha Harris told them at least one exorcism was performed on the girls. Count 4: Cruelty to Children in . Its just I dont know. Responding to the Arkansas Times report that uncovered Harris rehoming of his children, the state legislator said he was failed by the Department of Human Services when he told employees the girls were too difficult for the family to handle. Justin Harris Presents Arthur Russell: Justin Harris Presents Arthur Russell - Moon (12") Eclectic Avenue Records: BEAR006: UK: 2011: Sell This Version: Image Title Label Catalog Number Year In Your Collection, Wantlist, or Inventory Actions The three sisters taken in by Justin and Marsha Harris had already lived with atoxic mixture of neglect and abuse. I was shocked they seemed to have that mentality that they could fix these girls in a short amount of time and have a big happy family.. With over 63,000 Facebook followers, 58,000 Twitter followers, 35,000 Arkansas blog followers, and 70,000 daily email blasts, our readers value great journalism. Three separate bills have now been filed in the legislature to prohibit rehoming, and the governor is supporting such legislation. We kept a loving Christian home for them to be a part of it. Casting out demons: why Justin Harris got rid of kids he applied pressure to adopt "Rep. Justin Harris blames DHS for the fallout related to his adoption of three young girls, but sources familiar with the situation contradict his story and paint a troubling picture of the adoption process and the girls' time in the Harris household." 00:00. The Harts said that a local team working on the adoption including themselves, [Department of Health Services]caseworkers, adoption specialists, CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) and therapists from Ozark Guidance, a mental health provider made the Harrises fully aware of the girls history of neglect and sexual abuse and cautioned them that they were unprepared to handle children from such a background, especially considering their home included young boys. They repeatedly told us they had degrees in early childhood development, they had therapists there at their preschool, and they had God to help them through this. He said they suffered from reactive attachment disorder, a condition sometimes occurring among children with unstable backgrounds that results in severe emotional and social problems. I do have compassion for parents in the throes of dealing with this. When Justin Harris and his wife adopted 2 little girls from the foster system, they were making a commitment to protect them and provide the stability of a family. I never signed any parental rights away to DHS. ABC News "20/20" has declined to name the biological mother and the three girls out of respect for their privacy. But around March 2013, he and his wife formally adopted the girls two younger sisters, according to the Arkansas Times. (Photo credit: Gonzales Photo - Tor Atle Kleven). All rights reserved. No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you, he added, quoting a Bible verse. See Photos. It is an overall forecast for the net worth of Justin Harris. We were threatened with possible abandonment charges and potentially losing our own boys as well if we returned the girls to DHS custody. They have also lived in Cedar Hill, MO and High Ridge, MO. Lived In Chanute KS, Humboldt IA, Independence KS. So it came as a great shock to Wallis when Marsha Harris called her, nearly a year later, for dinner. Because adoption proceedings are so closed, it is nearly impossible for Blucker or DHS as a whole to refute Harris statements that the agency (or individuals within it) provided insufficient support, threatened him and ultimately turned a blind eye to the rehoming. We see this happening in orphanages and kids moved into foster care at a young age. Skilled in Negotiation, Sales, Store Management, Communication, Business Development and Sales Prospecting. Basically, they havent had their emotional needs met, or theyve been taken away, Jensen said. The Times reported that Cecile Blucker, the head of DHS' Division of Children and Family Services, "exerted pressure on the Washington County DHS office on behalf of Justin Harris to . We checked on them, took them to the doctor.. LIVE. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. She stated that Francis had raped her genital area to help her go to sleep, a claim he did not deny. In most conversations with us, [Harris] would mention Ceciles name. We had a dog, a little Bichon, that they were around all the time and there was never once any issue with her abusing an animal. Despite the legal evidence, Harris at first refuse to confirm the link, then quoted a passage from the Bible. The girls were at one point placed in the care of methamphetamine users,according to the Times. Harris put a 6-year-old girl he adopted in the care of a man who later sexually abused her. With 15 years fostering some 70 children, the Harts were veterans at living with tough kids. Demons told her to not appreciate [her toys] and all that, so they took away all the toys and her colored clothes., Although she was disturbed by what she saw in the household to the extent that she reported it to DHS*, Goldsborough said she felt compelled to continue babysitting for the sake of the girls. Cheryl and Craig Hart, an experienced foster couple who housed Mary and Annie for a year and a half before their adoption by the Harrises, said they tried to talk the Harrises out of adopting the sisters. They thrived in our home," said Cheryl Hart, who briefly cared for the children with her husband, Craig Hart. It is not OK, but I understand. But recently,Wisconsin, Colorado, Florida and Louisiana havepassed laws addressing the practice. While Annie would be allowed to roam the house and interact with other family members, Mary was often confined to her room, Goldsborough said. The lawmaker did not reveal at the time the child Francis raped was Harris own. They think their family is different. Their biological mother, who had a history of drug abuse and had lived with a string of abusive men, was deemed unfit to care for them. Eric Francis, the head teacher at a Christian school Harris ran, was allowed to look after the two girls, and had custody of them for more than a year before he was arrested for sexual assault. The Arkansas Supreme Court today dismissed a lawsuit against the state brought by Justin Harris, the former Republican state representative from West Fork best known for a tragically botched. 'As a parent and grandparent, like many Arkansans, I am shocked to learn of Rep. Justin Harris's egregious action of placing two girls he adopted through DHS directly into harms way by sending them to stay with another family without approval from the adoption agency. Justin Harris, a Republican who sits in the state's House of Representatives, legally adopted the two girls in March 2013 - but handed them over after just six months to a man who would go on to rape the eldest. We care deeply for the girls but we were failed by DHS, Harris said at his press conference. Goldsborough said the exorcism was performed by specialists from Alabama who came to the house to orchestrate the event. And here was a stable family with a successful business, the father a state representative, seeking new children. We are truly amazed at our daughters ability to love and bond with us, given all they have experienced. But the Harrises explained that they were both early childhood educators, ran and operated a preschool and had experience working in therapeutic daycare centers. I think everything happens for a reason, so I feel like I was there for a reason, she said. Benji Hardy is a contributing editor to the Arkansas Times and a reporter for the Arkansas Nonprofit News Network. Months later, according to the Harrises, they were struggling to cope with the mental and behavioral challenges presented by the two girls, particularly the older one, who was 4 at the time. An extensiveReuters and NBC News reportin 2013laid out the series of events that often plays out online, where parents use message boards and Facebook groups to find new families for their unwanted adopted children: Faced with the allegations before they were published by the Arkansas Times, Harris first became defensive. I felt it was better. Copyright 2023 IBTimes LLC. Now, what has happened in the last 24 hours that everyones recommendation has changed?. We are aware of the very public conversation going on about events pertaining to our daughters, they said in an email to the Times. 01643 703559. "If they were violent [in the Harris home], they were taught violence. Culture dates back to Germany during the era of Hitler and his shenanigans, where grandmother became pregnant and moved to Canada. State Rep. Justin Harris, who gave his adopted daughters to a man who later admitted to sexually assaulting one of the girls won't seek re-election. The Harts said that a local team working on the adoption including themselves, DHS caseworkers, adoption specialists, CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) and therapists from Ozark Guidance, a mental health provider made the Harrises fully aware of the girls history of neglect and sexual abuse and cautioned them that they were unprepared to handle children from such a background, especially considering their home included young boys. And the three little girls finally found their forever homes. Jan Wallis is an adoption specialist at the Arkansas Department of Health Services (DHS). 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