I wonder if Susan has quit beating her children yet.
Just a rumor , but you never know.
Posted on 05/29/2002 12:38:32 PM PDT by robowombat
Tired of ‘harassment’ By Stephanie Taylor Staff Writer May 18, 2002
Stormie Quimby, 10, smiles at her father, Gene Quimby, in their home in Northport Tuesday. Three reports have been made to DHR about the family in recent years, each unsubstantiated, Quimby said. Staff photo | Jason Getz
| Gene and Joanne Quimby view themselves as typical parents.
Gene drops the kids off at school in the morning and picks them up in the afternoon.
The family spends the evenings watching television, finishing homework and playing with their dogs. On the weekends, they sometimes go to the park or the movies or rent a video. But someone apparently thinks the Quimbys’ parenting skills leave something to be desired. Three reports in recent years have been made to the Child Protective Services unit of the Department of Human Resources about the family, Gene Quimby said. One investigation was in 1996, another in April 2001 and one this month. Each of the reports was unsubstantiated, Quimby said, but the investigations by social workers have caused his family undue stress and anxiety.
"It upsets the kids. They’re worried somebody’s going to take them," he said.
During the most recent investigation earlier this month, a social worker showed up at 10-year-old Stormie’s school and interviewed her in the counselor’s office during lunch. Someone had called DHR in the belief Stormie was being physically abused, and Quimby has a letter from the agency indicating that the allegations were not true.
He said he believes people are calling the agency because of the way he looks. With a long ponytail and tattooed arms, he may not look like a conventional father, and he thinks discrimination against him is the root of the problem.
"I believe it’s my long hair and tattoos, and maybe my flag," he said.
Gene says that the Confederate flag hanging in the window of the family’s mobile home is a symbol of his heritage and not of racism. His family members fought in the Civil War, he said, and he and his children have friends who are black. Quimby’s claim is backed up by photographs of Stormie with one of her black friends. He said people glare at him in public and that kids have made fun of him while he sat in the carpool line at his 12-year-old stepson D.J.’s school.
"People look at me like I’m a criminal," he said.
He’s considering filing a federal lawsuit to find out who has called the agency to report him. Under state law, the social workers cannot disclose who made a report about a family, so Quimby would need court intervention to find out. "We’re never allowed to reveal the identity of a reporter," said Susan Windham, a child welfare supervisor. "Even if they guess who it is, we cannot confirm or deny it." She said that while DHR cannot release the name of a reporter, it could be ordered public by a judge. "I would like to get a warrant on them for harassment. It would be illegal if I went down to the police station and filed a false report; this should be illegal too," Quimby said. "They’re abusing the system. The people that are being abused should be able to do something about it."
Windham said that a little more than half of all reports turn out to be unproved. She said that the investigation of a family could last anywhere from a few days to 120 days. Abuse and neglect assessment workers usually speak with the reporter first, the children next and then the parents. They visit the family’s home and inspect their living conditions and try to determine if the child is being abused or if basic needs are not being provided.
"It is stressful [for a family] to go through it," Windham said.
The children say they hope they never receive another visit from an agency investigator. D.J. and Stormie said the visits made it harder for them to concentrate in school.
"It makes us feel sad that people are messing with us," D.J. said. "It’s hard to act like it’s not bothering us, but I’m at the end of my rope," Quimby said. "I know they’re doing their job, but it’s mentally abusing us." Reach at stephanie.taylor@or 345-0505, Ext. 258.
Another possible heritage attack
Wow, use their favorite quote against them - tell legislators to "Do it for the children."
I recently saw the "The Last Waltz", the documentary about the rock group "The Band" in their last live performance, directed by Martin Scorsese in 1975. In one of the interview scenes, the group (Robbie Robertson, Levon Helm, et al.) is posed in front of a Confederate flag as they discuss their music, which included such songs as "The Night They Drove Ol' Dixie Down", which is a rather sympathetic recounting of the life of a rebel soldier.
I couldn't help but think as I watched this that Robertson and Scorsese would get pegged as "racists" if this movie were made today with that imagery, even though Robertson has been known to support left-wing, PC causes. These, poor, un-PC white folk don't stand a chance.
I wonder if Susan has quit beating her children yet.
Just a rumor , but you never know.
The son gets mad and starts shooting his mouth off. Pop told him to show a little respect and do not speak to his father that way. Kid doesn't listen, the father smacks him (first time ever) in the mouth and the son threatens to call HRS/DHR.
Well, cops come out with the HRS/DHR flunkies and take Jr. away. Father is awaiting his day in court and has not seen his 17-yr old son, who is now flunking school.
Sad story, but not that uncommon. People (kids included) are using HRS/DHR as a weapon.
It's really sad if people believe that this man beats his kids b/c he flies a CBF and has long hair. Yep - potential heritage violation.
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