Education - bullying

Reversed - DCF did not have reasonable cause to support a finding of neglect by Appellant parents when 1) the report was filed in response to a one-time verbal altercation between Appellants regarding the child's behavior; 2) the child dealt with many mental health issues that exacerbated the…

Reversed - DCF did not have reasonable cause to support a 51A report of neglect where Appellant used physical discipline on her teenage daughter on one occasion by reactively slapping her across the face for sneaking out of the house to be with an older boy.

Affirmed - DCF had a reasonable cause to support a finding of neglect because Appellant mother made excessive and inappropriate contact with her child's peers in an effort to control her child's relationships. Appellant also encouraged an inappropriate sexual relationship with her child and an…

Affirmed - DCF had reasonable cause to support the 51A Report for neglect where the Appellant (the child's father) failed to provide minimally adequate emotional stability and growth for his son by engaging in a contentious custody battle with the child's mother, where the Appellant and the child's…

Affirmed - DCF had reasonable cause to support a finding of neglect because 1) the Appellant, when responding to the child fighting at school, arrived with a pocketknife and threatened other children and ordered the child to beat up the students involved 2) witnessing domestic violence has a…

Reversed - DCF had reasonable cause to believe that the child has been neglected where the Appellant had a history of prostitution and substance use, displayed risky and impulsive behaviors, and expressed no desire to care for the children. In addition, Appellant left her children in the care of a…

Reversed - The Department’s finding of neglect was reversed due to insufficient evidence to support that appellant, the child’s grandmother, was a caretaker of the child at the time in question. The appellant arrived at the child’s school after she had been in a fight, but the child’s mother arrived…