Like many of her teammates, Lexi had left Navarro College by the time Daytona 2021 took place. By
The Pages have three children and want to adopt Lexi, who has lived with them since she was 2. Lawmakers found that Native American families were broken up at disproportionately high rates, and that cultural ignorance and biases within the child welfare system were largely to blame. The bottom line is that children subject to ICWA are second-class citizens, by law. In an official statement (via TVLine), Leigh shared she made the decision that season 8 was going to be her last, and along with Rhimes, they worked to "give Lexie's story appropriate . Associated Press, Parents whose foster daughter, six, was ripped from them because she is part Native American and they are white, appeal case to Californias Supreme Court as they hit out at 'an outrageous abuse of power', EXCLUSIVE: Biological father of six-year-old girl torn from foster parents because she is part Native American is a violent drug criminal who bragged of 'white supremacist friends', EXCLUSIVE - 'Please do the right thing and send our daughter home': Heartbroken white foster parents of girl, six, seized for being 1/64th Native American plead with new 'family' to return her to the only home she's ever known, 'Food isn't worth eating. The Choctaw Nation issued a press release saying it was "pleased that this lengthy and unnecessary litigation has been brought to an end by the U.S. Supreme Court. The Pages said they had not spoken with Lexi since she was removed from their home and continue to asked her relatives in Utah to allow communication. Because Lexi is 1.5% Native American, the Choctaw Tribe was able to completely tear apart Lexi's life due to an egregious misapplication of the Indian Child Welfare Act. This existing Indian family doctrine is a subject of conflict in the lower courts, the Pages petition said, and warrants review. That case has key differences from the fight over Lexi: Baby Veronica was legally adopted through a private agency, while foster care is a more limited form of guardianship. Chris Evans doxxed his own dick Tweet may have been deleted By accidentally leaking his own nude, Chris Evans gave us one of the only relatable celebrity moments of 2020. IE 11 is not supported. The LA DCFS said in a statement that the department always seeks to act in the best interest of the children it serves. ", Page said he responded: "I have to because the county of L.A. said I have to.". There is a healthy debate going on in this country about whether the Indian Child Welfare Act is on balance a good thing, or not, as a policy matter. "The issue is not what degree of Choctaw ancestry a child has," Singel said. Under the transfer, Lexi will live with a Utah couple who are not Native Americans but are related by marriage to her father. Don't let me go. In 2011, extended family in Utah became aware that Lexi was with a foster family and expressed interest in adopting her, according to the documents. The Supreme Court ruled that portions of the ICWA did not apply to non-custodial biological fathers, and Veronica was returned to the family that had adopted her. They were also designed to give state courts flexibility to depart from the placement preferences where there is "good cause" to do so. The Choctaw Nation has advocated for Lexi to live with her family since 2011. According to the Los Angeles Daily News, Lexi and her . Lexi clutched a teddy bear and cried as she was taken from the Pages' home on March 21 as neighbors prayed and sang hymns in support of the family. This button displays the currently selected search type. "There is a 6-year-old little girl who is going to be ripped away from the only family that she has ever known. The wrenching dispute echoes themes of the 2013 Baby Veronica case, in which an adoptive family sued for custody of a young Cherokee girl after her biological father renounced paternal rights. Thomas Blakely, a Choctaw Indian teenager, lives with his family in Idabel, Okla., one of many poor, rural communities within the sprawling . Singel is a member of a tribe in Michigan. Associated Press
Lexi entered foster care because her biological parents had substance abuse problems and a criminal record, and the relatives in Utah are related to her through her step-grandfather. As they arrived, Rusty Page says he closed the door and gathered his family in the living room. In adoptions of such children, the law requires states to notify tribes and seek placement with the child's extended family, members of the child's tribe or other Native American families. They said they wanted to adopt the girl. ", The National Indian Child Welfare Association said in a statement that the Pages were aware for years that the girl was an American Indian but chose to "drag out litigation as long as possible, creating instability for the child. The ICWA piece created a vehicle for all of the appeals, she said. It means if youre a foster family and if you have an Indian child, you should be terrified that your child could be taken at any time, says Mark Fiddler, a Minnesota attorney who represented the adoptive parents in the Baby Veronica case. "There's no doubt in my mind that what happened to Lexi should have never occurred," said Lauren Axline, a former foster care worked who handled Lexi's case in the past. Images of foster father Rusty Page clutching 6-year-old Lexi left an indelible mark when the L.A. County Department of Children and Family Services arrived to take her away from Page and his wife's Valencia home in March. , updated DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The custody battle over a 6-year-old girl heated up on Friday, as a state appeals court heard arguments from both sides. Lexi cried and clutched a stuffed bear on Monday as Rusty Page carried her out of his home near Los Angeles and Los Angeles County social workers whisked her away in a waiting car. "How is it that a screaming child, saying, 'I want to stay, I'm scared,' how is it in her best interest to pull her from the girl she was before that doorbell rang?" Lexi was taken from the Page home on Monday afternoon, Armand Montiel, a public affairs director with LA DCFS, told NBC News. Under the transfer, Lexi will live with a Utah couple who are not Native Americans but are related by marriage to her father. If the good-cause exception isn't satisfied in this case, it is difficult to imagine when it ever would be. When the grandmother died, Maldonado's mother was sent to live in Indiana with a Mennonite family who put bleach on her skin to lighten it, told her to say she was Armenian and kept her from communicating with her family, she said. The child ultimately was placed with her maternal grandmother, a member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe. Dave Grohl Hauls Big BBQ Smoker to LA Shelter to Feed People Amid Storm, 5 Freeway Closed North of LA Due to Snow and Poor Visibility, Avalanche Blocks Road in Mount Baldy Area After Cold Storm Drops Several Feet of Snow, 2 Arrested in Stabbing Death of Father on Downtown LA Street, March 1983: The Day a Rare Tornado Rampaged Through Los Angeles. It was enacted in 1978 because of the high removal rate of Indian children from their traditional homes and essentially from Indian culture as a whole. The result here is all the more senseless because placing Lexi with her non-Indian extended family members does nothing to further ICWA's purpose of keeping children connected to their tribes. Fans of the social media star dropped encouraging comments for her and wished her a speedy recovery. "The foster family was well aware years ago this girl is an Indian child, whose case is subject to the requirements of the Indian Child Welfare Act," the National Indian Child Welfare Association said in a statement. Her name is Lexi," the petition said. Bridgeport, NJ - The NOS Energy World of Outlaws sprint cars invaded the Bridgeport Motorsports Park on Tuesday eveningand thrilled the Standing Room Only crowd who poured into th On March 21, Los Angeles County social workers came to Rusty and Summer Pages home to take Lexi away. She did make the mat for Daytona 2020 but unfortunately never got to perform one final time as the . Reading ICWA to demand this tragic result is inconsistent with Lexi's constitutional right to stability and permanence-- a right recognized by the California Supreme Court more than twenty years ago. A California appeals court affirmed in July a lower courts decision to remove the girl. They also agreed that the Pages did not prove with clear and convincing evidence that Lexi would suffer emotional harm by the transfer. The boy's parents voluntarily terminated their parental rights, and the Brackeens petitioned to adopt him. Fiona Morgan. Dozens of supporters also surrounded the Pages home Monday in an attempt to block LA DCFS officers. In the meantime, our clients hope that the family in Utah will follow through on their promise to keep Lexi in contact with her family in Los Angeles. Many Native American families have stories about loved ones who disappeared and never returned. "It would be fairly extraordinary for an appeals court to reverse that," he said. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Copyright 2023 Celeberinfo -All rights reserved. An independent clinical psychologist was brought in to gauge her ability to transition from the foster home to her relatives. Correction: The original version of this story misstated which of Lexis relatives in Utah are members of the Choctaw Nation. Her mother had substance abuse problems, and her father had a criminal history, according to court records. "Our family is so incredibly devastated. The Pages also argued that ICWA singles out Native children for disparate treatment based on race, in violation of the 14th Amendments equal protection clause. She has woken up in their home every Christmas morning she can remember, and she has grown up over the past four years with three siblings who are her best friends and playmates. Summer Page runs out of her home after social workers took her foster child way. Please help #bringlexihome . A 6-year-old girl was removed from the California home of the foster family she has lived with for four years because she has a tiny sliver of Native American heritage despite resistance from her foster parents and their tens of thousands of supporters. Often there are no easy solutions, but when a court makes an order, we must follow it, said the departments director, Philip Browning. "They were ashamed she was Native American, and they made her ashamed she was Native American," Maldonado said. According to the Los Angeles Daily News, Lexi and her extended family have had monthly visits and Skyped at least once a week prior to her relocation. On Thursday, in a statement to ABC7, the Choctaw Nation said, "We are pleased with the state Supreme Court's decision, but what is most important is that Lexi is settling into her new, loving home with her family. The case brought dozens of people to the Pages' Santa Clarita neighborhood to demonstrate against plans to move Lexi. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. After several trials and appeals, a judge ruled that Lexi should leave her foster family and be placed with distant relatives in Utah. A king among men, he. She was taken by the Department of Children and Families in Santa Clarita and placed with relatives of her father in Utah. Lawsuits claim it wrecked their teeth. The case is one of dozens brought by foster families since the Indian Child Welfare Act was passed in the late 1970s. Lexi can remain where she. Please enter valid email address to continue. AccuWeather: AM showers before a mild afternoon, Teammate facing charges in crash that killed local UGA player, Teens in stolen car crash into school bus on way to field trip in NJ. Lexi cried and clutched a stuffed bear on Monday, March 21, 2016 as Rusty Page carried her out of his Santa Clarita home and social workers whisked her away. Many steps have been taken by the Choctaw Nation to ensure the best placement of Lexi. However, a court found that the Pages have not proven Lexi would suffer emotional harm by the transfer. The Choctaw Nation has advocated for Lexi to live with her family since 2011. All children, not just Native children, do better with caring relatives. Lexi, who is 1/64th Native American, was 17 months old when she was removed from the of her birth parents. The expansion of Anglo-American settlement into the Trans-Appalachian west led to the passage of the Indian Removal Act in 1830, forcing all eastern tribal nations to move to new homelands west of the Mississippi River in the Indian Territory. Our hearts are broken and we are trying to make sense of everything that has happened with our three other children who witnessed their sister Lexi forcefully ripped away from our family by strangers," the Page family said in a statement Monday night. Lawsuits claim it wrecked their teeth. "The Pages are obviously extremely disappointed with the court's decision, but they believe in our judicial system and remain hopeful that they will ultimately prevail," their attorney, Lori Alvino McGill, said in a statement. The Indian Child Welfare Act was passed in the 1970s to reunite Native American families broken up at disproportionately high rates due to cultural ignorance and biases within the child welfare system. "It would be fairly extraordinary for an appeals court to reverse that," he said. "While the past 10 days have been complete anguish for our family, there's no way our pain can compare to the confusion and disorientation that Lexi is experiencing," Rusty Page said. They were able to adopt the boy in January 2018 after the placement fell through. But other experts say that placing children with relatives is the goal of foster care and adoption, and even non-Indian kids are better off with relatives. Allie Greenleaf Maldonado said her grandmother and uncles were placed in boarding schools, forced to cut their hair and beaten if they practiced their religion. And applying ICWA to children who had no prior connection to any tribe raises grave equal protection concerns, as the US Supreme Court recognized in 2013, in Adoptive Couple v. Baby Girl. An independent clinical psychologist was brought in to gauge her ability to transition from the foster home to her relatives. The foster family understood this. BY LORELEI LAIRD January 11, 2017 www.abajournal.com. Lawmakers found that Native American families were broken up at disproportionately high rates, and that cultural ignorance and biases within the child welfare system were largely to blame. That law "seeks to keep American Indian children with American Indian families," according to its own language. ABC's Kayna Whitworth has the details from Los Angeles. Many in tears @NBCLA pic.twitter.com/lM1iWZiChk, The Pages lawyer said in a statement Sunday that they had been willing to offer the Utah family visitation rights, but they never responded to offers of compromise.. May 21, 2022 . 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