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Parents and civil-rights attorneys allege unlawful child removals, urge county inquiry
Summary
Multiple parents and two civil-rights attorneys told the Beaufort County Board of Commissioners that children have been removed without legal process and accused county-funded actors of violating constitutional rights; they presented affidavits and urged the Board to report suspected criminal conduct to federal authorities.
Multiple parents and two civil-rights attorneys used the Board’s public comment period to accuse the county’s child-welfare and juvenile-court systems of repeated due-process violations and to demand investigation. Tanawah Downing, an attorney who identified herself as a civil-rights litigator, told the board she had served affidavits and that she was prepared to litigate constitutional claims on behalf of parents she said were unlawfully deprived of their liberty. “States cannot enact their own alternative legislation that substitutes for the guarantees of the Constitution,” she said, warning the commissioners that continued funding of agents who she says violate constitutional guarantees could expose the county to legal consequences.
Several parents described lengthy separations, restricted visitation, and court delays they said deprived them of hearings required by law. “My children were taken unlawfully,” said Juanita Houston, who told commissioners she waited 14 months to regain custody after what she called false allegations and said she had been denied prompt judicial process. Cherry Tovar and others described locked facilities, disrupted schooling, lost wages and limited access to family members while their children were in DSS care.
The commissioners did not take formal action in response to the comments. County Attorney Amanda Sasnett later told the board the civil case referenced during public comment had been settled; she said the terms were not yet public and that any criminal matters were in the district attorney’s purview. On a procedural point, several commissioners requested written copies of the affidavits and asked staff to confirm whether any county-funded officials had been served and whether the county had reporting obligations under federal statutes. The public-comment speakers also cited federal statutes (including 18 U.S.C. §241 and §242) and some court decisions in urging the Board to forward evidence to appropriate enforcement agencies.
The Board’s county attorney advised members that civil and criminal authority lie in different offices and suggested that any further legal questions about pending criminal matters be directed to the district attorney. The parents left the meeting urging sustained oversight and promising to return until they saw change.
