Thursday, August 16, 2007
The Chilling of Speech by the Teen Help Business: The Dangers of Reporting Child Abuse and Fraud
HOW THE SILENCE OCCURS
Written by: Paula Reeves
Copyright 2007
www.paulareeves.comThe incarceration of children by parents, without a court hearing, is a close second to the booming prison industry in the U.S. Parents sometimes learn too late they were defrauded by unregulated businesses claiming to be "resource experts" or referral agents, or the parents learn of child abuse and neglect at the unregulated programs after the damage has been done.
When the parent, advocate, or employee attempts to report or expose the abuse or fraud, they may be met with a lawsuit designed solely to silence them. The chilling of First Amendment rights by regulation-free private businesses has been unprecedented in the United States by those using our children as commodities in the marketplace.
Such was the case with Carey Bock, a New Orleans mom who was sued by a wealthy heiress, Sue Scheff. Bock was left with no lawyer or financial resources to defend herself, once her pro bono lawyers withdrew.
Scheff and her one-person company, PURE rolled over Bock, who failed to show for both her mediation and trial held in the Ft. Lauderdale area. The result was a win by default in the staggering amount of $11.3 million dollars. Scheff was the only party to present evidence. Therefore, the jury rendered a verdict without the benefit of hearing any evidence presented by Bock or witnesses on her behalf.
The World Wide Association of Specialty Programs (WWASP) uses similar tactics as that of Scheff and PURE. These "teen help" businesses are examples of why federal laws are needed to prevent the practice of filing SLAPP lawsuits against those who speak out against child abuse and business fraud. SLAPP is the acronym for Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation.
One of the most famous SLAPP actions was filed against Oprah Winfrey by the Texas beef industry. Opray won, but most would not have been able to withstand the psychological pressure, the legal fees, and court costs.
Check back for a more in-depth discussion of how our right to speak freely is being chilled by the booming, dangerous, and unregulated "teen help" industry and those who refer for profit or call themselves a "resource" for parents. ###
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author. Fair comments, corrections, and concerns are welcome.
Copyright 2007 Paula Reeves
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