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

[Original Poster]

good for her... seems she is doing the adult thing here...more mature then her parents it would seem

[Gotenks98]

Kick her ass out and disown her. If I have a kid and they do this they will be disowned especially if I put a lot of time and effort into explaining the consequences of this. In my family I have tons of cousins who got knocked up by no good men and the never done anything with their lives. Its not like their parents didn't have the talk with them about the birds and the bee's and they still did it. I am not saying you gotta be a virgin till your married but at least protect yourself. If this was rape I would be more understanding but its not so disown her.

Note that I am not saying have an abortion or not to. Its the woman's body and they have the right to do with it what they want. They just cant be expected to free-load on their parents like that.

[ILikeTobacco]

Kick her ass out and disown her. If I have a kid and they do this they will be disowned especially if I put a lot of time and effort into explaining the consequences of this. In my family I have tons of cousins who got knocked up by no good men and the never done anything with their lives. Its not like their parents didn't have the talk with them about the birds and the bee's and they still did it. I am not saying you gotta be a virgin till your married but at least protect yourself. If this was rape I would be more understanding but its not so disown her.

And then she will sue them for neglect. It is a no win situation for the parents.

[Mr. Gibs]

Kick her ass out and disown her. If I have a kid and they do this they will be disowned

Yeah that doesn't work. All that would happen is you'd be sitting in jail for the next few years.

You're their legal guardian until they become adults, you can't just kick them out of your house and tell them to go live on the streets.

[Gotenks98]

Yeah that doesn't work. All that would happen is you'd be sitting in jail for the next few years.

You're their legal guardian until they become adults, you can't just kick them out of your house and tell them to go live on the streets.

If I have to do the time so be it. I stick by my principles. If I have to do a single day behind bars that just adds to the whole situation of them never being welcomed again.

[Mr. Gibs]

If I have to do the time so be it. I stick by my principles. If I have to do a single day behind bars that just adds to the whole situation of them never being welcomed again.

And what if you have other (younger) kids? They're going to suffer because of you being in jail.

A far better solution would be to actually teach your kids proper sex education. Some schools in America have pathetic classes on it, parents who refuse to do it because they think sex is a sin, and then catholic people who think abstinence is the only policy.

[astropheed Veteran]

Way to set more precedence to allow retarded teenagers to do whatever the hell they like. I'm not looking forward to being a parent these days, you're not really allowed to do much anymore (aside from sitting them in the corner to think about what they've done) and it's repercussion seems to be raising little ********!

I'm not for or against abortion and I'm not for or against this case; but, I am for Parents having the right to make all decisions on behalf of their children as long as that child is still dependent on said parents. Do I agree with what the parents are doing? No. Do I think they have the right to do it? Yes.

Stop crippling the rights of Parents and you'll get less little ********.

[Mr. Gibs]

Way to set more precedence to allow retarded teenagers to do whatever the hell they like. I'm not looking forward to being a parent these days, you're not really allowed to do much anymore (aside from sitting them in the corner to think about what they've done) and it's repercussion seems to be raising little ********!

Stop crippling the rights of Parents and you'll get less little ********.

Actually I'll think you'll find it's more to do with parents not wanting to do any work in raising their kids because its tiring or w/e. And parents who don't want to take responsibility for their kids actions.

Oh my kids a bully? No no that can't be he's the sweetest thing, It's obviously the teachers or the other kids fault.

Oh my kid got a C in class? Nope not possible, my kids a genius the teacher is obviously being biased and needs to be fired.

People just want quick fix it solutions to problems that don't really have one. If the parents sat down and gave their kids proper sex education, taught her the importance of using protection and why having a baby at 16 isn't the best thing to do. This may not have even happened (well apart from a condom being defective or w/e).

Then again tv shows on TLC and MTV like 16 and pregnant, teen mom etc that glorify / popularize stupid decisions aren't really helping either. Kids watch it and now think it's ok to have kids at 16 because Sarah on 16 and pregnant did it and now she's famous.

[astropheed Veteran]

. . .And parents who don't want to take responsibility for their kids actions.

. . .Then again tv shows on TLC and MTV like 16 and pregnant, teen mom etc that glorify / popularize stupid decisions aren't really helping either. Kids watch it and now think it's ok to have kids at 16 because Sarah on 16 and pregnant did it and now she's famous.

Yes I agree with you completely; I just wasn't getting so far down the complexity train to figure out where these problems arise from.

In an ideal world these sorts of court matters wouldn't arise (as much) simply because the teenagers are educated enough to establish better safe-sex practices, or even, abstinence. I would assume with proper education the likely hood of shows like Teen Mom existing would be dramatically decreased. Teen Mom exists purely because there is a demographic wanting to watch it or dealing with a situation similar to it.

It's all too easy to blame everything other than the parents, when most of the time it most likely stems from some inadequacies that the parents had throughout the life of the child in either discipline, socialisation or even basic structure. It's sad that children suffer because of it, and worse yet -- the unborn child of their children.

As it stands now though, the damage is done, and taking away the rights of the parent to stop another child being born into what will likely be the same cycle is not what I think should be done. It's probably best that this child isn't born, but I'm aware it's not for me to say (hell, it may cure cancer when it's older), but I do think it should be within the rights of the (bad) Parents to say.

[Nashy]

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

While I would usually agree, I can't see this being backwards in say way.

She's 16 so she's clearly got rights, and her parents are trying to force her to do something against her will.

[Skin]

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.

exactly.. throw her out and let her deal.Course now she will end up on welfare more than likely... dang system

[HellboundIRL]

I find it hard to believe some people would actually disown their child (and possible grandchild) for getting pregnant, these things happen sometimes no matter how well you think you raised your kids. I think a good parent can deal with this, work through it with their child and come out the other end with a much stronger relationship without the need for ripping their family apart and throwing their own flesh and blood out onto the street.

[LaP]

exactly.. throw her out and let her deal.Course now she will end up on welfare more than likely... dang system

And why would anyone who love his kid would do that. I'm totally baffled at some of the replies here.

A kid is a gift, a responsability. Not a burden.

I find it hard to believe some people would actually disown their child (and possible grandchild) for getting pregnant, these things happen sometimes no matter how well you think you raised your kids. I think a good parent can deal with this, work through it with their child and come out the other end with a much stronger relationship without the need for ripping their family apart and throwing their own flesh and blood out onto the street.

+1000

[Growled Member]

Yeah that doesn't work. All that would happen is you'd be sitting in jail for the next few years.

What if you snuck away in the middle of the night and didn't tell her where you were going? :p

[Ph1b3r0pt1c]

And why would anyone who love his kid would do that. I'm totally baffled at some of the replies here.

A kid is a gift, a responsability. Not a burden.

+1000

A gift from who? And it IS a burden if your a lower income family. But im sure you know all of that. Well then. Since she knows everything in the world, IF she was my child, I would place her ass up for adoption, since she isnt 18 yet, and let the state take care of it. Its going to anyways. Or throw her down some steps and let the problem solve itself.

[Mr. Gibs]

While I would usually agree, I can't see this being backwards in say way.

She's 16 so she's clearly got rights, and her parents are trying to force her to do something against her will.

She does have rights but it's the parents who are going to have to take care of the kid. She has no education so she'll want to finish that off, she has no job so she can't earn any money etc. So the parents will be left with taking care / paying for the kid.

If the parents aren't well off that could be a massive financial burden that they're unprepared for.

[Nashy]

She does have rights but it's the parents who are going to have to take care of the kid. She has no education so she'll want to finish that off, she has no job so she can't earn any money etc. So the parents will be left with taking care / paying for the kid.

If the parents aren't well off that could be a massive financial burden that they're unprepared for.

Why will they be left paying it off? She will go on the benefits like every other young mother does.

[Mr. Gibs]

Why will they be left paying it off? She will go on the benefits like every other young mother does.

Unless I'm mistaken she can't go on benefits until she turns 18 and since she isn't legally an adult her parents responsible for her. Giving birth to a child in America isn't cheap at all, with no complications its about $20k (with complications its like 80k).

She's most likely on her parents insurance, and most plans will deny maternity benefits to dependents so her parents would have to pay the entire bill.

The health care overhaul provides a safety net for young adult children, who can now stay on their parents' health plans until they reach age 26. But it doesn't guarantee that their parents' plan will cover a common medical condition that many young women face: pregnancy.

When Wendy Kline learned this spring that her 17-year-old daughter was four months pregnant, she took her to the doctor for prenatal care. Her insurer denied the claim, citing her employer's policy not to cover maternity care for dependents.

"At that point my jaw hit the floor, because I did not know how we were going to pay for this," Kline says.

Kline asked her company, a medical equipment retailer in Martinsburg, W.Va., to change its policy. But company officials turned the 26-year veteran employee down.

"You work all your life and pay these insurance premiums," she says. "Then you ask for help and can't get any. It's just so unfair."

In some states, a pregnant young woman might qualify for Medicaid, the federal-state health-care program for low-income individuals, even if she lived at home with her parents, say experts. But when Wendy and her husband, Andy, investigated, they were told that eligibility would be based on their household income, which was too high to qualify for Medicaid.

[Nashy]

Unless I'm mistaken she can't go on benefits until she turns 18 and since she isn't legally an adult her parents responsible for her. Giving birth to a child in America isn't cheap at all, with no complications its about $20k (with complications its like 80k).

Surely single parents of whatever age are eligible for payments?

In saying that, I won't comment too heavily on this, I don't pretend to know most of the idiotic laws and lack of health cares etc. that exists in the USA.

I honestly don't know why a 16 year old would want to burden the best years of their life with a kid.

[Mr. Gibs]

Surely single parents of whatever age are eligible for payments?

Edited my previous post with a news article on a similar topic ;)

Basically if she's on her parents insurance, they might not pay for the pregnancy since she's a dependent. Medicaid is based on household income, and since she lives at home with her parents they probably make too much to qualify for it. Very quick Google search says the parents have to be making less than 18k a year to qualify for it.

I honestly don't know why a 16 year old would want to burden the best years of their life with a kid.

If I had to guess (and I'm going out on a limb here) it's because we have shows that make it seem cool to have a kid when you're a teenager.

[Roger H. Veteran]

Was just gonna post on this... good thing i searched :p

http://news.yahoo.co...topstories.html

A pregnant teen who sued her parents, claiming they were coercing her to have an abortion, will be able to give birth to her baby.

Attorneys representing the 16-year-old girl were granted a long-term injunction against the girl's parents in Texas family court on Monday, according to court documents.

The teen is 10 weeks pregnant and the injunction will last for the duration of her pregnancy.

As part of the order, the girl will be able to use her car to go to school, work and medical appointments. Her parents had taken away the use of the car as part of their effort to force an abortion, court papers stated.

The teen's parents will be liable for half of the hospital bill when she gives birth, unless she is married to the baby's 16-year-old father.

Apparently she won and the parts gotta pay 1/2 of her hospital expenses? WTF! :blink: Since when do parents do not get to say what their "child" isn't allowed do to.

Hell, if I was those parents i'd sell the car to pay for that half of the hospital bill they'll be responsible for when the kid is born.

[HawkMan]

I'll just point you to the previous 7 pages of discussion as to why the parents don't get a say in what anyone can do with their body. or ruin their body so she "might" end up sterile afterwards, and quite possibly giving her severe depression.

[FloatingFatMan]

Normally, I'd agree that the parents have a large say in what the teen can or cannot do; but not when it comes to deciding whether a baby lives or dies. No one but the pregnant girl has a right to terminate her pregnancy.

Personally, I only agree with abortions when there's either a risk to the mother, or the baby will be seriously impaired beyond any reasonable quality of life. However, the final choice is always with the woman; it's her body.

[Roger H. Veteran]

I'll just point you to the previous 7 pages of discussion as to why the parents don't get a say in what anyone can do with their body. or ruin their body so she "might" end up sterile afterwards, and quite possibly giving her severe depression.

Normally, I'd agree that the parents have a large say in what the teen can or cannot do; but not when it comes to deciding whether a baby lives or dies. No one but the pregnant girl has a right to terminate her pregnancy. Personally, I only agree with abortions when there's either a risk to the mother, or the baby will be seriously impaired beyond any reasonable quality of life. However, the final choice is always with the woman; it's her body.

I'll just say i didn't get to read the whole 7 pages before because i shouldn't even be on here :p (i'm "working") but I agree that her choices are her own when it comes to certain things. Then again why are the parents also still responsible (financially) for her choices then even if they are against it.

I'm sure this was probably brought up before also but what if the girl was a 9yr old then? There was a girl in Mexico or something that had a kid the other day and she was in the 9-12 range. Obviously said young of a child can't even really get a job to support the child so in that case the parents would still be responsible. I can see in the case where a child gets in trouble and damages someone's property (say take a car and crashes it) then obviously the parents would have to be liable but ...... this is just weird! :dunno:

[HawkMan]

in most of the non catholic world, a 9 or 10 year old would most likely be having an abortion on medical grounds. as her body while capable of making babies, is not fully developed yet to the point where a girl that age is capable of safely carrying to term and giving birth to a baby without severe health risks to herself.