Bath Photos Lead To Children Being Taken Away: Walmart Needs To Get Real
Posted: Friday, September 18, 2009
by Abigail Richards
It is every parent's worst nightmare: having your children stripped from your house and taken away from your care.
One Arizona couple had that reality recently when a Walmart employee alerted the state child protective services of a couple when they developed pics they felt were sexually inappropriate.
The photos? They were photos of their daughters playing in the bath. How many parents in America do not have photos of their kids playing in the bath? Please don't raise your hand. I would hate for you to have a knock at your door.
I can not imagine the horror this family has gone through over the last month. The good news is that they are doing what every parent and this situation should do once they have their children back in their arms safe and sound.
They are suing. They are suing the state of Arizona and the state Attorney General's Office alleging that the employees defamed them by telling people that they had "sexually abused" their children.
Then they are suing the culprit in all of this Walmart. My advice to Walmart is that they should pay as much as necessary for causing this harm to this family.
Apparently, they have never even publicized their "unsuitable print policy" or that people run the risk of being turned over to authorities.
What lessons can we learn from this? Be careful what you send to Walmart for printing instead opt to print at home or at art stores. Also, be careful what you feel should be turned over to authorities. Make sure you are 100 percent positive something is going on because it could mean a detrimental affect to every child and parent involved.
I can't tell you how many friends or people I know that has had a horrible experience in foster care. Make sure you know for sure before subjecting them to their life being upside down.
It is kind of depressing how far our society has gone that parents recording a childhood memory runs the risk of being arrested.
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Top-level comments on this article: (5 total)Hi Abigail.This is just crazy! What does Walmart think it is? Our moral enforcer? And who elected them such? Geez! It seems to me that anyone wishing to document their abusive habits would take their film or flash cards to an establishment that they know will not look at the product. Generally speaking, I don't think people are that stupid.DianneThanks Dianne for commenting! You said it exactly!
Abigail, you and Dianne are exactly right. Walmart has joined the ranks of those overzealous and self-appointed child "protectors" that I have been complaining about for a long time.Thanks Terry for commenting! Who gave them the right, i wonder?
Ditto to what Dianne and Terry say. It's wierd, I called once on a woman who I know for a fact was abusing her child and was on drugs. This woman even had a record. Nothing - absolutely nothing was done. I wonder how they decide who to listen to and who not to. Extremes on both ends. May God bring balance. I have tons of old pics of my nakey babies playing in the bathtub. ridiculous! I hope this family wins to prove a point that this is something that should be well investigated before a move is made to remove a child from their home. Good job!! TeresaGreat points Teresa! Thanks for commenting!
Great article. Well done.I see what you are saying. Except I would not blame Walmart as they were not the ones who took the kids away. It is the state that is to blame -Walmart provided them with information that they over acted on (in this case).I agree to an extent, but Walmart must share some blame. They were paid to deliver a product. If they are going to turn over pictures, they need to publicize their printing policies somewhere. They also need to use a little common sense. I am sure your mom has pictures of you as a child. Can you imagine if she was accused of such misdoings! Thanks for taking the time to comment! I agree the state is just as guilty!
Great article. Well done.I see what you are saying. Except I would not blame Walmart as they were not the ones who took the kids away. It is the state that is to blame -Walmart provided them with information that they over acted on (in this case).I agree. A few Walmart employees made a bad call passing this on to the authorities, but that is where it should have ended. The authorities barged in and caused the damage to the family, seemingly based on no credible evidence. That is where the problem lies, not with Walmart.
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