RM 2E6B9B6 - Justin Harris (R) is escorted into the Cobb county Magistrate court house in Marietta, Georgia July 3, 2014. After several months with the eldest girl, who was 6 at the time of the trial period, the Harrises didnot finalizeher adoption due to her behavioral issues, Harris said at a news conference last week. Imperial Court of Buffalo, +6 more Alfred State. At the Friday press conference, Justin Harris said he and Marsha had their biological sons sleep in their room for their protection from the young sisters. 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. In a good disclosure meeting, all the childs current and potential behaviors are discussed in depth and there is a clear road map of what it will take to make this adoption successful. I'm sure by now nearly every one of you has heard about Arkansas state representative Justin Harris's decision to "rehome" his two . ), Craig Hart also raised the issue of faith when addressing Justin Harris comments about the girls. Representative Justin Harris, pictured last month, gave his two adopted daughters to a friend after they threatened his family with violence, he said. Instead, after six months Mr. Harris and his wife re-homed the two girls like pets that didn't work out. Im a Christian, and I have these beliefs, but this was completely beyond anything Ive ever seen or heard about., Goldsborough said the reason the family removed Marys toys was because a demon told [Mary] not to share. This was my last effort at being a good mother., Our idea was going to be to have a private adoption, Harris said in the KARK interview. In November, he was sentenced to 40 years in prison. They loved each other. "To give your children away, whether they're your biological children or adoptedI never thought that would be legal anywhere," Wallis told 20/20. Other sources confirmed to theTimesthat Marsha Harris told them at least one exorcism was performed on the girls. After just four months in the Harris home, the oldest girl was placed in an inpatient facility and her adoption by the Harrises was never finalized. I don't care if I lose my position. I never signed any parental rights away to DHS. Following the publication of the story, he and his wife, who have three biological sons, released a statement through their lawyer. Harris, who was first elected in 2010, made his public statements after initially refusing to comment. Those depictions, Ostrov says, would be a tremendous lure.. We took all of the kids we had to church and Sunday school. And throughout their childhood,police had documented sexual abuse in their home,which experts say can be a strong signal for potential predators. Among them: two foster families who cared for the girls prior to the Harris adoption, the girls biological mother, a former DHS employee familiar with the proceedings and a former babysitter at the Harrises West Fork home. *This story has been updated since it was originally published. Thats part of the process you want. See above to learn how much money does Justin Harris makes a year. Both girls have since found a new home. Finding the truth behind political rhetoric, reviewing claims to see whats accurate and whats misleading. Such descriptions could serve as a beacon for predators. Here was a young, desperate mother pleading for help, seeking a home for her three little lost girls. 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. SCOTUS Nom We do not do exorcism. Organizations, counselors, therapists, caseworker after caseworker told them, you dont know what youre getting into. Mary and Annie stayed in the Harris home for no more than 14 months (not two years, as Harris said at the Friday press conference). The legislator adopted three girls and turned them over to a man who abused one of them. Harris and his wife once hired specialists to perform an exorcism on the two sisters while she waited outside the house with the boys, she said. She called Justin and Marsha Harris to take her daughters. Lived In Chanute KS, Humboldt IA, Independence KS. After the traumatic start to their young lives, the story of these little girls is one of hope, survival and resilience. They just were in denial the whole time about how troubled these girls were. She loved to dress up., Craig Hart objected strongly to Harris implication that the girls were dangerous. She did so good. Strong Sales, Networking, and Client Development skills with a Bachelor of Business Administration - BBA focused in Business Administration and Management, General from Lees-McRae College. With 15 years fostering some 70 children, the Harts were veterans at living with tough kids. Representative Justin Harris and his wife Marsha adopted the girl, six, and her sister, three, through the Arkansas Department of Human Services in March 2013. They came in to one of the church lunches and had me go to the bank with them to have it notarized and all that stuff to take it back to their lawyer. But the girls foster parents said they didnt experience those kinds of issues with the girls. We could reason with her and talk to her. ABC4 Newscasts; ABC4 Live Events; Video Center; Podcasts Harris has said that he will support rehoming legislation as well, although if such a law had existed when he sent his daughters to live with Eric and Stacey Francis in October 2013, he would have been committing a felony. Thats why we have supervisors and area managers because you want as many eyes as you can to help make sure we make the best, most appropriate decisions for those kids. Harris spoke for the first time of a third, older sister that he said DHS made him adopt before he could take the younger sisters into his home. She was the toughest kid I ever had, but when she finally came through and I realized I could take her to our homeschool co-op, she was just like a normal kid. They are both extremely protective toward each other and love each other with all their hearts. The story first surfaced in April 2013. They think their family is different. 01643 703559. While some individuals from West Fork had nothing but harsh words for the Harrises, both Chelsey Goldsborough and the source close to the Harrises said they took no joy in speaking out against the couple. It was also this agency which Harris required to approve his controversial adoptions. He said at the Friday press conference that they wanted only to adopt the younger sisters but were forced to accept the eldest as part of a package deal: Marsha and I always planned to have five children. Id take her to parks and she wouldnt run off or act all crazy or beat other children to death she was just another kid.. Log in or sign up for Facebook to connect with friends, family and people you know. Id watch her from a camera. For the most part, Harris peers in the legislature are keeping quiet about the controversy, but the public at large is paying attention to the story. "We met a bunch of different families, and we found the parents we absolutely loved," Justin, who came out as gay to his family before his junior . But the source told the Times that Blucker was made aware that the girls had been rehomed days before the call was received by the hotline. DHS has a long history of avoiding, lying, or otherwise hiding kids behaviors in attempts to place children quickly. Many of the online posts say the unwanted children have physical or mental disabilities. Meal 6: sushi or Thai (pad thai ususally) Additional work: 12-20 min of stepmill following every workout but legs. Nearly a dozen people interviewed by theTimestell a different story of Justin and Marsha Harris dealings with DHS and their relationship with the three young girls. But what of Jeannette, the oldest daughter and the first to be taken in by the Harrises, who the lawmaker said sometimes spent about eight hours every day screaming and in a rage and threatened violence upon his sons? The reason: The Harrises believed the girls were possessed by demons and could communicate telepathically, Goldsborough said. Given the abuse the kids had endured while entrusted to her care, Young believed that it was unlikely a judge would return her children. With attachment comes a sense of security; without it, a child may experience a heightened wariness of his or her environment, become withdrawn, and be unable to respond to attempts at comfort. They married four months later. I care what my wife thinks about me, and I care what my three sons think about me.'. When asked if Blucker had prior knowledge of the rehoming, Webb, the DHS spokesperson, said the agency could not comment due to the confidentiality of adoption cases. I hold DHS accountable And Im not sorry for doing it, he declared. Attachment to a mother or father figure is a deep, biological need and necessary for normal social development, Jensen said. They were thrown in with a lot of transient people in their lives before us. Justin Harris is our managing director and the owner of Harris Residential. In most conversations with us, [Harris] would mention Ceciles name. | Learn more about Justin Harris's work experience, education, connections & more by visiting their . But Dr. Peter Jensen, acting director of the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, said that did not sound like an appropriate therapy for RAD. Despite her reservations about the Harris adoption, Wallis thought things were going well with the Harrises and the two young sisters. . 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.). To allow a child with RAD to emotionally attach to her new caregivers requires a focus on positive reinforcement; any punishment must be kept gentle, Jensen said. Justin Harris told 20/20, "We are Southern Baptist. Sometimes you see kids put in a safe environment and all hell may break loose. 'We're just one radio call away from having the biggest aviation disaster in history': After ANOTHER almost catastrophic near miss at a US airport, just how can Americans trust their plane journey will be safe? The lawmaker also said DHS misled him about severe behavioral issues with the girls. This "was not the type of home we were lookin' for it wasn't appropriate for these girls to be in a home with three boys," Wallis told 20/20. Justin Harris. "When the adoption/rehoming scandal broke, Harris held a press conference as reported by the Arkansas Times. Wallis warned Harris there was a possibility that DHS could charge them with abandonment if they took such action. Months later, the Francises transferred the girls to yet another family. Our friends, our neighbors, our church we can get as many character witnesses as you want for those girls, he said. 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.. But I knew they had talked about it, they were going to rehome them, she said. I care what my wife thinks about me, and I care what my three sons think about me,' said Rep. Harris, Rapist: Francis pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual assault in the second degree. Now, what has happened in the last 24 hours that everyones recommendation has changed?. Chelsey Goldsborough was a high school senior when she started babysitting for the Harrises' two remaining adopted daughters in spring of 2013. There are times when families are unable to cope with the challenges of caring for children adopted through the foster system. They cut us off completely, quickly they just thought they knew so much., Cheryl Hart said their offers of respite care that is, extended childcare to allow parents time away from difficult kids went unanswered. She stated that Francis had raped her genital area to help her go to sleep, a claim he did not deny. Cheryl Hart also remembers Justin Harris often mentioning the name of DCFS director Blucker, the person ultimately in charge of adoption and foster care for the state of Arkansas. But it was not just DHS. And though the two youngest girls had never given the Harts any severe problems, they did not believe the younger sisters should be placed in a home with any young children because of the abuse they had suffered in the past. Copyright IBTimes 2023. Just screamin'. 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. After Jeannette entered DHS supervision in early 2011, she bounced around between foster care and inpatient psychiatric treatment before landing in a therapeutic foster home in May 2011. 'Rep. Primary Menu. He then said he and his wife became overwhelmed in caring for them, so he arranged for them to live with Eric Cameron Francis and his wife, Stacey Francis, after the state didnt agree with his request to take them back. Now imagine that happening three different times. Justin Ross Harris, who prosecutors said intentionally left his 22-month-old son strapped inside a hot car to die because he wanted to live a child-free life, sits in Cobb County Magistrate Court . The Harrises sent Mary and Annie to live with the Francises in October 2013, just a year after they had taken them into custody. Select this result to view Justin Harris's phone number, address, and more. But the Harrises were hell-bent on having it happen. DHS cant comment on specific cases, but when theTimespreviouslyasked DHS spokesperson Amy Webb whether senior agency officials at the state level ever override the recommendations of a local adoption team, she said, Im sure thats possible thats happened. They had even put an addition onto their house in anticipation of one day adopting. 'Rep. Asked about the death of the guinea pig, Wells, the Harrises lawyer, said via email, A family pet, which was a guinea pig, was crushed to death by one of the children. As a legislator, Harris knew Blucker personally and has some influence over her budget. The suburban Atlanta man charged with murder after his 22-month-old son died from being left in a hot car for seven . On. Id be pretty pissed off, too.. Since 2013, he has represented District 81, which includes parts of Washington and Crawford counties. and Mrs. Harris placed the girls into the care of Eric Francis and his wife Stacy [sic] Francis in October 2013. As a dad, it was fight or flight, Harris toldKTHV in an interview. Gods going to solve this. There are lots of children you could adopt you dont need to take the most traumatized ones out of the system. 'There are also other issues that need to be raised here. The Harrises learned that this behavior could be related to the girl's diagnosis of Reactive Attachment Disorder (R.A.D.) "Despite what you may have read, we reached out to DHS numerous times and were met with nothing but hostility. They were not allowed to be around each other because of the Harrises belief in demonic possession and telepathy, she said. Arkansas State Rep. Justin Harris and his wife, Marsha, had always been eager to expand their family of three young sons. Follow. The Arkansas Times piece, written by Benjamin Hardy, also points out that in that state there is no law that prohibits parents from leaving their child in another individual's care. As well as production work, Justin's 25 year DJ'ing career has seen him play at hundreds of venues around the world (170 cities in 33 countries and counting) including such respected venues as Fabric (UK), The End (London), Planet K (Manchester), Fuse (Brussels), Rex (Paris), Batofar (Paris), Skanssen (Oslo), Lolita (Barcelona), Robert Johnson And there were no tears. 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 . They were adopted, so theyre going to want TLC.. This is what I'm dealin' with eight to 12 hours a day.". Everyone testifying before the judge had stipulations, like To be followed up, To continue their therapy at Childrens House, but nobody would say, We really dont think this is a good idea. The Harts believe Bluckers influence made the adoption happen. (Other sources claim Young waited for days to turn the husband over to the police.) Harris was sentenced to 12 years in all on those three charges: Ten years for one count of attempt to commit sexual exploitation of a child, and one year each for two counts of dissemination of. Date: 2014-04-04 Placement type: Adoption Type of abuse: Sexual abuse In some ways I did break the rules and give [Mary] attention. West Fork, Arkansas, is represented in state government by Republican Rep. Justin Harris. In October 2013, Justin Harris dropped off his two young daughters to begin their new life with the Francises. 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 have to learn skills most parents dont have such as how to talk a child down. Therapists need to become involved. But by January 2014,Francis had been fired for poor work attendance, the Arkansas Times said. Shed get overexcited or scared, and wed come back out and shed calm down with me. Its evil, he told the Times. But things quickly took a turn for the worse as the middle child, also diagnosed with RAD, began to act out despite regular therapy sessions, the Harrises said. Cheryl Hart also vividly remembers the roundtable meeting described by Harris, which she said occurred on Valentines Day 2012. Donna Ames On March 5, Benjamin Hardy of the Arkansas Times published an explosive investigation about how State Representative Justin Harris . Fired GMA host buys $650 David Yurman promise ring and slips it on Tiffany chain ahead of Amy Robach's 50th, as pals say they're 'more in love than ever', White House claims Americans are in a 'better position' under Biden and his economic plan is working - despite poll saying a record number think they are WORSE off in the last two years, Just 37% of Democrats want Biden to run in 2024 - and 62% of Americans think he's done 'little or nothing', damning new polls reveal: Voters are concerned by his gaffes and COUGHING. So, sure, higher-ups will get into discussions about what is best and what is not., However, a source familiar with the workings of state-level DHS informed the Times that Blucker supposedly remarked in 2012 that Harris threatened to hold up the budget for the division if he didnt get to adopt those girls.. Chilling 911 dispatch describes how 'overmedicated' midwife mom Lindsay Clancy cut her own wrists before jumping from top window of her home in suicide attempt after strangling her three children, Biden STILL refuses to accept responsibility for classified documents debacle: President says 'the answer is no' when asked if takes blame for sensitive files found at multiple properties, Inside Jim Carrey's secret 'sanctuary': Comedian lists LA estate of 30 YEARS (complete with infrared sauna and tennis court) for a whopping $28.9M after announcing plan to retire from acting at 61, World-first pill for postpartum depression could be rolled out in US by AUGUST, High blood pressure? And only a few months following that dinner, Wallis said her shock turned to horror when she learned the Harrises had re-homed the two young girls to the Francis family. We've been battling powerful forces for 48 years through our tough, determined, and feisty journalism. And the ad litem asked him, Did you make calls?And he finally said, I did what I had to do to get these girls. I expected the judge would [stop the adoption] but she gave them the oldest girl. The younger two sisters soon followed. Justin Harris. "If they were violent [in the Harris home], they were taught violence. Later, at an emotional press conference, Harris placed the blame squarely on the state health services department, which, he said, refused to help when he and his wife struggled with the girls they had adopted. For one of those girls, however, Arkansas Rep. Justin Harriss house came to represent something very different: a temporary stopping point on the way to some place much, much worse. The girls were at one point placed in the care of methamphetamine users,according to the Times. We had decided to add on to our house in order to expand the family, and we couldnt have any more children, so at that point we had decided we were going to adopt. "Exorcisms and telepathy are not part of the Harrises' religious practice. Now, Im really good with kids with sexual trauma. I'll be very clear about that. He said one of the girls the implication was the middle sister had to be medicated to stop hurting her sister, and that he was advised by therapists to treat her RAD by removing toys and other belongings from her room. The rehoming of Mary and Annie officially came to the attention of DHS on March 28, 2014, thanks to an anonymous call to the child abuse hotline operated by State Police. The story went public in March 2015. All rights reserved. Harris face was getting all red, Cheryl Hart added. In reality, when they are doing it in these illegal ways, whatit is is child abandonment and neglect, Lestino said. It is known as rehoming, a name that describes a practice more common in pet adoption. DHS was still trying to go after me, and when they talked about terminating my [parental] rights, I said, I dont have any rights. According to Wallis, Harris told her they could no longer handle the girls, needed to give them back and that ministers came "to visit the house to try and get the demons out of the two little girls." 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. Justin and Marsha Harris bought into this concept, and adopted because they wanted a family of five. But regardless of the facts of this particular case, DHS is often culpable in failed adoptions, she said. In fact, because of the repeated sexual abuse she had suffered at such a young age, she had begun to exhibit predatory behaviors. Little lost girls they wanted a family of five the foster system girls, has... To 40 years in prison eight to 12 hours a day... As a beacon for predators placed the girls to yet another family three! By Harris, which includes parts of Washington and Crawford counties with kids sexual! 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