Texas teen sues parents to stop them from forcing her abortion [Updated]

[Hum]

HOUSTON -- A lawsuit claims a 16-year-old girl is being coerced to have an abortion against her will.

The teen is two months pregnant and is represented by lawyers with the Texas Center for Defense of Life. A judge granted a temporary restraining order to save the baby's life.

"We were asking judge to stop them physically forcing her to have an abortion. She is legally protected. They cannot drag her to get an abortion, force an abortion on our client," attorney Stephen Casey said.

The lawsuit is eight pages long and details alleged verbal abuse by the teen's parents.

In the lawsuit, the teen claims her mom "... invited the paternal grandparents to a bar for further discussion, where she suggested that she might slip her an abortion pill through deception."

The teen also claims her father told her "he was going to take her to have an abortion and that the decision was his, end of story."

Even though she is a minor, the teen has the power to make that decision.

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MOD EDIT - The story continues here: Pregant Teen Win Abortion Battle Against Parents

[Nick H. Supervisor]

Even though she is a minor, the teen has the power to make that decision.

Sounds like an open and shut case to me. Although with that said, I don't think the daughter understands that the parents can then be in their rights to make her shoulder the responsibility. She'll need her family behind her to stand a chance with this in my opinion.

[Hum]

Slip her an abortion pill ??? WTH

[siah1214]

Oh Texas you backwards hellhole...how I love thee.

[Xilo]

An underage teenager shouldn't have any say in the matter whether she can or cannot have an abortion.

If she wins, her parents should throw her out for her to fend for herself because clearly she thinks she's ready to be an adult.

[theyarecomingforyou]

Sounds like an open and shut case to me. Although with that said, I don't think the daughter understands that the parents can then be in their rights to make her shoulder the responsibility. She'll need her family behind her to stand a chance with this in my opinion.

This. The parents have no right to force her to have an abortion but she should think very carefully about continuing with the pregnancy if she doesn't have the support of her parents. Having a child is a huge responsibility and doing it alone at her age would not be in the best interests of her or the child, as it would almost certainly preclude her getting a proper education or a decent job. There is also no mention of the father either, so I don't see how she thinks she can raise the child by herself.

[FloatingFatMan]

An underage teenager shouldn't have any say in the matter whether she can or cannot have an abortion.

If she wins, her parents should throw her out for her to fend for herself because clearly she thinks she's ready to be an adult.

It's her body, so her decision. She felt she was old enough to have sex, so it's her responsibility to deal with the consequences.

[Richteralan]

An underage teenager shouldn't have any say in the matter whether she can or cannot have an abortion.

If she wins, her parents should throw her out for her to fend for herself because clearly she thinks she's ready to be an adult.

Such backward logic. But I welcome you to the 21st Century.

[Xilo]

Such backward logic. But I welcome you to the 21st Century.

If you want to make adult decisions when you are clearly not ready to shoulder the responsibility, you should be held accountable for them and not push your problems onto others due to your inability to make responsible decisions.

If she has this baby at 16, it will mean:

- Parents/grandparents almost guaranteed to be forced to help with the baby. Means increased financial burden and time.

- Girl will most likely not complete her education.

- Girl will have a hard time trying to work.

So yeah, how is it such backward logic? She will be burdening her parents/grandparents for her irresponsibility.

[FloatingFatMan]

If you want to make adult decisions when you are clearly not ready to shoulder the responsibility, you should be held accountable for them.

Judging by her taking this decision to stop her parents, I'd say she HAS decided to shoulder the responsibility. She's not begging for anyone to make decisions for her, or look after the kid. She's trying to stop her parents from forcing her to do something she doesn't want to do.

[Richteralan]

If you want to make adult decisions when you are clearly not ready to shoulder the responsibility, you should be held accountable for them.

Accountable is make her take care her baby and actually be an adult, not by threatening her to have an abortion.

And frankly threatening doesn't work, no, at least not with a 16yo.

If you resort to threatening with your parenting, you should seek help.

[Xilo]

Accountable is make her take care her baby and actually be an adult, not by threatening her to have an abortion.

Which is what I said. She can be kicked out to fend for herself.

[FloatingFatMan]

Which is what I said. She can be kicked out to fend for herself.

No parent deserving of that title would do that.

[HawkMan]

If you want to make adult decisions when you are clearly not ready to shoulder the responsibility, you should be held accountable for them and not push your problems onto others due to your inability to make responsible decisions.

If she has this baby at 16, it will mean:

- Parents/grandparents almost guaranteed to be forced to help with the baby. Means increased financial burden and time.

- Girl will most likely not complete her education.

- Girl will have a hard time trying to work.

So yeah, how is it such backward logic? She will be burdening her parents/grandparents for her irresponsibility.

I know of many 16 years olds who are more mature than 3 year olds and better capable of handling babies, who have had babies at 16, and then become great parents, had a job and been able to take care of the baby, and took an education after that again.

basically everything you say is plain and pure BS. but then again, over here, education is free, and when you have kids you are covered in the "basics" anyway. though by no means is it free or easy. But even without a government who don't care about individuals or people who are not the 1% 16 years are capable of taking care of themselves and a baby if they are willing to do it.

either way the family should support her decision not force her into one. an abortion could at the worst make her unable to have a baby later in life and could push her int a depression. Maybe they should think about something else than their "reputation". I'll bet this is a higher social level family who is ore interested in their image than their kid, they probably never raised their own kid even and she knows here nanny better than her mother.

[LaP]

Which is what I said. She can be kicked out to fend for herself.

Actually legally they can't since she's not 18.

http://wiki.answers....r_the_age_of_18

I don't know what the procedure is in the states but you can't just kick out a kid from home. The police will bring her or him back home. If you really have too much problems and can't take care of your own child in most of the civilized countries you need to call youth protection and start a usually long and painful procedure to relocate the child or resolve the issues preventing you from taking your own responsability as a parent cause despite what most people in NA think a child is a responsability that goes beyond 5 years old ...

A grandparent who is not willing to eventually take care of his grandchild if needed should not have a child in the first place.

[MDboyz]

Yet it will be a burden on her parents to take care of her and her kid later on. However, this is the thing you have to be responsible for being parents.

[Doli]

She can give the baby up for adoption

If you want to make adult decisions when you are clearly not ready to shoulder the responsibility, you should be held accountable for them and not push your problems onto others due to your inability to make responsible decisions.

If she has this baby at 16, it will mean:

- Parents/grandparents almost guaranteed to be forced to help with the baby. Means increased financial burden and time.

- Girl will most likely not complete her education.

- Girl will have a hard time trying to work.

So yeah, how is it such backward logic? She will be burdening her parents/grandparents for her irresponsibility.

She can give the baby up for adoption.

[Richteralan]

Which is what I said. She can be kicked out to fend for herself.

You are messed up. Seriously.

You care more about the financial burden than your kids.

[DirtyLarry Veteran]

This. The parents have no right to force her to have an abortion but she should think very carefully about continuing with the pregnancy if she doesn't have the support of her parents. Having a child is a huge responsibility and doing it alone at her age would not be in the best interests of her or the child, as it would almost certainly preclude her getting a proper education or a decent job. There is also no mention of the father either, so I don't see how she thinks she can raise the child by herself.

She probably has watched one to many of episodes of Teem Mom on MTV.

And sadly, I am not kidding.

[theyarecomingforyou]

She probably has watched one to many of episodes of Teem Mom on MTV.

And sadly, I am not kidding.

Yeah. A lot of teen mothers don't realise the consequences of having a child. I mean, by the time her child is 16 she'll be 32 - that's a pretty huge commitment.

[Shadrack]

Sounds like an open and shut case to me. Although with that said, I don't think the daughter understands that the parents can then be in their rights to make her shoulder the responsibility. She'll need her family behind her to stand a chance with this in my opinion.

To me, it sound like she would be better off on her own. Its tough but that is life. If the allegations of verbal abuse are true, the child would be better off raised in a healthy atmosphere away from these people.

The fact that the girl's mother conspired to slip a drug in her daughter drink to force an abortion tells me that these people are irresponsible people who do not respect their daughter and by extension will probably not respect their grandchild.

[HSoft]

over here, education is free, and when you have kids you are covered in the "basics" anyway. though by no means is it free or easy. But even without a government who don't care about individuals or people who are not the 1% 16 years are capable of taking care of themselves and a baby if they are willing to do it.

America has "free" education until you are 18 (free as in people pay for it through taxes, the same as your system). And this whole "1%" BS is just that. So to quote you further :-

basically everything you say is plain and pure BS.

[Shadrack]

This. The parents have no right to force her to have an abortion but she should think very carefully about continuing with the pregnancy if she doesn't have the support of her parents. Having a child is a huge responsibility and doing it alone at her age would not be in the best interests of her or the child, as it would almost certainly preclude her getting a proper education or a decent job. There is also no mention of the father either, so I don't see how she thinks she can raise the child by herself.

It is tough, but teenage mothers do it all the time. There are women's groups and government aid available for them. She can pretty much forget about getting a proper education and a decent job, but some still manage to pull that off as well.

[FloatingFatMan]

America has "free" education until you are 18 (free as in people pay for it through taxes, the same as your system). And this whole "1%" BS is just that. So to quote you further :-

basically everything you say is plain and pure BS.

There's not a single thing in his post that is even slightly incorrect, but bear in mind that he's from Norway; a vastly different society to yours.

[Shadrack]

America has "free" education until you are 18 (free as in people pay for it through taxes, the same as your system). And this whole "1%" BS is just that. So to quote you further :-

basically everything you say is plain and pure BS.

What is BS about HawkMan's statement? He saying that even if they are not in the "1%" they are capable of raising a child. Statistics are stacked against them, and both the 16 year old and the child will most likely have a poverty stricken life.

But you guys are speaking in absolutes like "there is no way possible for her to raise this child and they will both shrivel up and die if they try" which is utter nonsense because there are actual examples of women who do succeed despite teenage pregnancy and no family support.