All for Acceptance

By: Rod
(© 2010 by the author)

The author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed without the author's consent. Comments are appreciated at...

Chapter 9

It was only a short phone call but Judge Hamilton was able to reach the State Chairman of the Department of Children and Family Services.  It seems that everything said on the stand by James Townsend was correct.  Statistics had proven the success of the non-traditional homes and their ability to actually help the wards placed in their care.  Recommendations had been made by the state offices to each of the subsequent offices to enlarge their base of foster care facilities by tapping this previously unused resource.  The state office had attempted to begin tracking of the new placement and was particularly disturbed that they had not had any placements reported by the office in the Twin Cities.  A decision had just been discussed to start an investigation into the office in question.  When Judge Hamilton relayed the happenings in his court it was decided that the investigation would begin immediately with Eric Mathers being placed on suspension until the team investigating could return their report.   Since they already had one of their investigators within a fifteen minute drive from the Twin Cities he would attend the afternoon session of Judge Hamilton’s court. 

The Judge’s second call was to a good friend in the detective division downtown at Police Headquarters.  He wanted a full report as soon as it could be delivered to him on anything they could find concerning one Eric Mathers. For good measure he decided that it would not hurt to get a full report on James Townsend as well.

Tony was surprised when his room became overfull with the number of people who showed up just after lunch.  Judge Hamilton went in first and explained to him what was about to occur.  Before anyone else entered, the Judge had a brief conversation with Tony asking him about his life with his previous foster parents.  Tony was in tears when he was told they had only been a foster family not his real parents.

 His parents had expired in an auto accident.  He was very lucky to have survived but, he had.  It seems while his mother was driving in a southern state far away from their home she started to drop off to sleep at the wheel. The car swerved towards the edge of the road and continued down the embankment.  Tony’s parents were killed in the resultant rolling of the car down the steep embankment.  Tony had been asleep in the back sleep with a layer of blankets below him and a large stuffed animal in his arms above him.  As the car turned from top to side to bottom to side to top to bottom again and again Tony was buffeted up and down between the seat and the roof of the car.  Fortunately the stuffed animal cushioned him as he hit the roof of the car and the seat when he went the other way.  Once the car came to a stop at the bottom of the hill he could only remain crying and holding on to the inanimate savior clutched in his arms. Another driver had seen the accident and notified the state patrol.  It was only a matter of minutes before emergency equipment arrived at the scene.  Tony had indeed been fortunate, he only had a few bruises on his arms, the arms of the stuffed animal had fallen into a position where they had offered some protection and the main body of the animal had totally cushioned the rest of his torso.  His parents however, were not nearly so fortunate.  They both were declared dead on the scene.  

Since his parents had been from Minneapolis, the local authorities made arrangements for the bodies to be returned to their home.  It seemed only logical that Tony would return there as well.  DCFS had taken over the responsibility of Tony’s care when it wasn’t possible to find any remaining relatives.  His parents had set up a trust but it was soon discovered that they were still too early in their intentions and no real value had accumulated.  By the time all funeral expenses were handled it had been necessary to liquidate all of their assists and none remained to care for Tony.  The state needed to take over his care so, as was the normal procedure he was placed in foster care.  Between the time he had been returned and a couple could be found to take his placement, he had been relegated to a facility managed by a social service organization serving DCFS. 

 “Tony, I know you are rather young but I will ask you, do you have a preference of where you should go once the hospital can release you?” asked the Judge.

“Sir, I don’t want to go to an orphanage, I’m scared of that place, I don’t know why but I just know I am.  Can’t I go with Allan?  He and Travis have been here with me so much of the time this last week.  A lot of other people have been here too and they all seem so nice to me, but Allan is like me and lost one of his feet.  He helps me a lot when I don’t feel too good.  He holds me and talks to me and makes me feel better.  He says he wants to help me learn how to get around again too.  Please, sir, can I go with him?”

“We’ll see what we can do, Tony, we’ll see what we can do,” replied the Judge.

The balance of the group of men entered the room.  The Judge asked Tony about his time with his foster parents.  He told them how things had seemed so normal for as long as he could remember until about six months ago when he started to experience pain in his foot and ankle.  His foster parents complained they didn’t have the money to get him medical care and then suddenly within the last three weeks they had taken him to the clinic and the doctor had run some tests.  He talked about how they started to hit him for what seemed the littlest thing or nothing at all.  They returned to hear the doctor tell them what was wrong and when he told them that the foot and ankle needed to be removed as soon as possible they had just got up and left. Tony didn’t know what was happening but when he heard the doctor tell the nurse to call DCFS he panicked.  He somehow knew they would come and take him away.  He didn’t know if he would have the surgery or not. From all he knew they would probably not save him since he would just be another orphan, someone people didn’t spend money to take care of.   Somehow he knew there could only be problems for him if they took him so he decided to run away as soon as the doctor disappeared.

 He had tried to survive but it was so cold out and when he found the car unlocked and it felt warm inside he just had to try to warm up and rest.  His foot was hurting so much he could hardly walk. That was when Allan had found him asleep in the back seat of his car.  He thought this man would be mad at him but he wasn’t, he held him to calm him down then took him where he had been feed and given a chance to bathe and put on clean clothes.  It was there that he passed out and the next thing he knew he was on the way to the hospital.  He only wanted Allan to be with him but they would not let him.  Soon, after several doctors had talked to him and looked at his foot a nurse gave him a shot and the next thing he knew he was in a room starting to wake up and Allan was coming in to be with him.  Since then, Allan or Travis was with him most of the time.  Others came to but he felt the safest when Allan or Travis was with him.

Eric Mathers was present and again went into a tirade about how it was an abomination for Tony to be with two men and he would see that it would never happen.

Tony could only sit in his bed with his body shaking as the tears flowed down his cheeks.

Before the Judge could admonish Mr. Mathers for his statements, another gentlemen pushed his way forward and presenting himself before Mr. Mathers informing him that due to his attitudes and inability to follow the edicts of his supervisors he was being suspended subject to an investigation and would most certainly not have any say as to the disposition of Tony’s case.  Then, turning to the Judge he introduced himself as the representative of the State Office of the Department of Child and Family Services stating that the court should disregard any statement or opinion put before the court by Mr. Mathers.

Tony continued to cry as he could not understand just what was happening, his future was still too much of an unknown.  Allan had positioned himself next to Tony and reached out to cradle him in his arms.  Only after Tony had realized the embrace holding him did he begin to end his tears. 

Mr. Anderson voiced his objection to the court disregarding the statement presented by Mr. Mathers as when the statement had been presented; he was the local supervisor of the DCFS office.  The Judge overruled the objection and warned Mr. Anderson that his statements were inflammatory and if continued, he would be held in contempt of court. 

The Judge felt he had heard all he needed to hear and declared the session adjourned.  Due to the investigation now under way and the fact that he was waiting for several other pieces of information in conjunction with the case he would take everything under advisement and render a decision within five days.  All would be advised of the time they should appear before the court for his decision.

Travis, Allan, Phillip II, Earnest, Mammy, and the Judge remained in the room with Tony after everyone else had left.   Tony would not allow Allan to leave his side let alone let him go.  He returned Allan’s grip with one of his own seemingly holding on for dear life.  The Judge asked him how his stump was progressing and Tony responded that Allan had assured him that all was going well and as soon as the doctor allowed him, Allan would begin teaching him to use the forearm crutches like Allan used. 

The doctor entered the room and began his usual daily check.  While he carefully removed the dressings from the stump he gave the Judge a more medical analysis of the status, basically saying in a more scientific way about the same as Tony had relayed in so many fewer words.

The healing was coming along very well, it still looked a little red but temperature was appropriate and the signs of where the stitches had been removed seemed to be clearing.  It was time for Tony to start moving and the doctor informed those present that the rehab department would begin Jacuzzi treatments and if Allan was ready he could accompany Tony to rehab and between he and the therapist, Tony could begin learning to use the crutches.  If all went well it wouldn’t be long before Tony could be released.

The investigation was moving along rather quickly.  There were several others in the office who felt Eric Mathers was more of a bigoted tyrant than an appropriate supervisor.  His decisions were always framed in such a way that no apparent disagreement could be easily defended, but the final result was apparent in one of the lowest rates of placement of any of the state offices.  There always seemed to be a reason why same sex couples or singles were found to not qualify for some reason or another, therefore, there was never a possibility of placement.  As interviews were held with the various employees this fact became ever more prevalent.  It wasn’t until the interview with James Townsend that some real information came to light.  With all that had occurred James had decided to report the details of the incident several years before.  Once researching the appropriate records verified the information, the investigation was considered to have significant evidence to not only release Eric Mathers from his position, but to bring charges against him.

Further evidence had brought to light a number of activities of the church Eric and his wife attended. It was also found that the Assistant District Attorney had ties to the same church.  It was only a matter of days before the State’s Attorney dismissed Mr. Anderson and brought charges against the church after finding they had been kidnapping any children who were suspect of being gay.  These children had been subjected to vicious treatment intended to make them straight.  Unfortunately there had been no cures, just a life of torment for those under their control.  The members of the church that were aware of the dismal statistics felt that if the individuals could not be “made straight” then they should be kept from society and punished for their sins against God.

The chief of detectives had done his reports as well and presented them to the Judge.  As was found by the state investigator there was more than enough reason to discount any recommendations from Eric Mathers and beyond the actions of the State’s Attorney the Judge had filed a petition to have William Anderson disbarred.  It seemed there were several things he had illegally done in assistance to his church which were more than enough to substantiate his disbarment. On the other hand, James Townsend was clear of any hint of impropriety and the state officials had decided to have him remain in the office at least temporarily taking over the director’s position.

All parties involved were notified that they were to appear in Judge Hamilton’s court for the final disposition of Tony’s case.  The Friday morning session wouldn’t be any too soon as the doctor had informed the court as well as Phillip Samuelson and Allan that Tony should be able to be released that very Friday.  In light of that fact the Judge had requested Tony’s presence in the courtroom as well, and due to the guardianship arrangement, it would be required that James Townsend as representative for DCFS actually accompany Tony to the court session.

The court session opened much as any session would, there seemed to be a few more people in the gallery than normal, in fact the spectator area was filled to capacity with more people outside.  A certain amount of publicity had stirred more than a few citizens with the release of the story concerning DCFS and its previous director in the Twin Cities.  Eric Mathers had been released from his position and no less than ten charges had been brought against him.  The state office of DCFS had been forced to begin re-examination of every case that had Eric Mathers’ name somehow involved.  Over the period of his tenure that numbered in over several thousand cases, not to mention the number of applications for foster licenses that he had denied.  The internal review board would be very busy for a good while.  At the same time Mr. Anderson’s situation also was bringing forth a review of every case he had tried.   It was to be a real field day for all involved. 

Opposing factions for and against single and same sex households being able to foster and or even adopt wanted their positions heard.  Judge Hamilton found himself in a precarious position, on one hand he could have anyone not directly involved with the case removed from the courtroom and be viewed as hiding the proceedings from the public or it could turn into the proverbial three ring circus. The prominence of the people involved, Travis Wainman, the most respected caterer in town, along with his now known partner and half brother attempting to seek guardianship of a nearly eight year old boy, and Phillip Samuelson II one of the area’s most known philanthropists was more than enough cause to bring all sorts out of the woodwork.

After court was called to order and Judge Hamilton took his position on the bench the bailiff called the case.  He had no sooner finished when a spectator stood and announced, “Your Honor, if I may approach the bench.”

“And you would be?”

“I am Nicoli Romanov attaché to the ambassador from the Polish Embassy, your honor.”

“What business do you have for this court pertaining to the case at hand?”

“I am here representing the family of the Bartowski’s your honor, and hereby request that Antonio Bartowski be returned through our embassy to his rightful family in Poland.”

Pandemonium reigned over the court as the Judge attempted to call order.

To be continued...

A special thanks to Jesse Mercer for editing.

Posted: 10/15/10