Phoenix, Arizona -- Dad seeks CPS reforms after child's death

Dad seeks CPS reforms after child's death
Mike Sakal, Tribune

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/66614

As soon as John Gray moved to Arizona from Florida last year, he began
battling Child Protective Services to gain the care of his three
children and get them away from his ex-wife.

An ex-convict fresh off a 21-month prison sentence, Gray’s persistent
and angry manner with CPS worked against him as he tried to convince
caseworkers his former spouse was a danger to the children, CPS and
prison records said.

Now, after the death last year of 4-year-old Haley Gray while in the
custody of her mother, John Gray has turned his intensity on reforming
the state agency he says failed his family.

Gray is fighting to change the way CPS handles its own investigations.
He filed a notice of a wrongful death lawsuit with state Attorney
General Terry Goddard’s office in March. He and his attorney, Jorge
Franco, said they are readying a lawsuit in Maricopa County Superior Court.

Gray launched a Web site, azcpsabuse.com, that calls out CPS for not
admitting to wrongdoing in the deaths of children he said have been
placed in danger by the agency’s decisions.

Gray is also pushing legislators to enact “Haley’s Law,� which — if
passed — would mean the loss of parenting rights for those who have
their children taken away by CPS three times. The proposal has gained
the support of at least one area lawmaker.

“There needs to be some changes with CPS, and there needs to be some
reform,� Gray said. “CPS has never found itself responsible of any
wrongdoing in the many cases where children have died in the care of a
parent where they shouldn’t have been. If one child can be saved from
changes being made at CPS, it will be worth it.�

John Gray provided records to the Tribune and said that different
decisions by many people could have resulted in a different outcome for
Haley.

CPS could have taken the children away from Celene Gray, 35, a
Scottsdale exotic dancer who was required to complete CPS-ordered
alcohol treatment programs.

Celene Gray could have kept better track of her children on Sept. 10,
the day reports show she was asleep while Haley had gone inside her
mother’s Mitsubishi Montero looking for a makeup case, CPS officials
believe.

And John Gray could have stayed out of prison and presented himself in a
better manner to CPS caseworkers.

None of those things happened.

Instead, Haley Gray was found inside the hot vehicle, naked and choking
on her own vomit. She died four days later.

Celene Gray could not be reached for comment, and her attorney, Daniel
Raynak, also declined to grant an interview on her behalf. The Tribune
also requested interviews with David Berns, director of CPS, but the
agency declined.

PAST PROBLEMS

John Gray said he met Celene at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting in
Seattle in the 1990s. They were married in 1996.

They later moved to Florida, where they began experiencing problems in
the marriage, and were divorced in 2004. Celene Gray was granted sole
custody of the children because John Gray was incarcerated at the time.

“When we lived in Florida, it lent itself to a lifestyle where we made
some wrong decisions,� John Gray admitted.

Gray said he has been sober for 15 years. And Franco, his attorney, said
he believes John Gray’s pending case has merit despite his past.

Gray was jailed after he violated a restraining order five times that
prohibited him from seeing his ex-wife and children, and was charged
with identity theft, according to CPS documents and records obtained
from the Pinellas County Jail in Florida.

“John Gray has done some things that are marks against his character,
but never did it involve his ability of being a parent or his
capabilities of caring for his children,� Franco said.

Arizona CPS reports show the agency was wrestling with John Gray’s
persistence and profanity that sometimes elevated to angry outbursts
with caseworkers.

CPS required Gray to complete an anger-management course and allowed him
to have only supervised visits with his children.

“I am not a perfect man,� said Gray, who works as a regional sales
manager for company involved in laser optic machines. “I know I have
made some mistakes, but never have I done anything to indicate that I
was a danger to my children. I have called CPS at least 100 times to
voice my concerns, but they ignored me. It was a daily struggle, until
Haley died.�

REPORTS OF NEGLECT

CPS reports state that Celene Gray sometimes smelled of alcohol when she
picked up the three children from day care or the babysitter.

She had picked up the children at John Gray’s home on Sept. 10, took
them home and fell asleep after a night of drinking, CPS reports state.

Celene Gray has pleaded not guilty to felony charges of child abuse from
that incident and a separate aggravated DUI in 2004, when police say she
was involved in a minor collision in Glendale with her three children.
In that incident, Celene Gray’s blood alcohol level was 0.26 — more than
three times the legal limit — after she picked her three children up at
their day care center, according to CPS reports.

She has a pretrial court hearing on July 5 on both cases.

Despite suspicion of Celene Gray’s alcohol-related offenses, CPS
returned the care of the children to her two out of three times,
according to CPS documents.

And just a few days before his daughter became locked in the hot car —
on Sept. 8 and 9 — John Gray complained to CPS that Celene allowed Haley
to sleep in the same bed with her and another man, according to a CPS
report. The agency investigated the claim and determined there was no
inappropriate sexual activity, records show.

It wasn’t until after Haley was hospitalized on Sept. 10 that a CPS
caseworker signed over care of the two boys, now ages 6 and 7, to John
Gray. That was the day Haley was admitted to Phoenix Children’s Hospital
on the brink of death.

REFORMS SOUGHT

The attorney general’s office is preparing for a legal battle against
John Gray to avoid liability, said Steve Wilson, a spokesman in
Goddard’s office. While a legal showdown is pending, reforms are also
moving forward.

John Gray had hoped for legislators to attach “Haley’s Law� to HB2048,
but it was crafted too late to make this year’s session and be added to
the bill, he said.

The bill was drafted by the House Committee on Government Operations and
Waste on which Rep. John Allen, RScottsdale, serves as chairman. The
bill was passed on April 25.

It requires CPS to file reports twice yearly to various Human and Family
Services committees in the House and Senate.

“Haley’s Law,� if passed, would require CPS to obtain the records from
out-of-state agencies if the parent in question had a history of
problems elsewhere.

John Gray had told caseworkers his wife had problems with Florida’s CPS
agency, but they didn’t obtain the Florida records.

“There is no external review for CPS outside of CPS, and that needs to
change,� said Allen, who said he supports John Gray’s ideas on CPS reform.

Gray case timeline

Sept. 24, 2004

• Celene Gray is arrested by Glendale police on suspicion of an
aggravated DUI.

• Gray is involved in a fender bender three blocks from her children’s
day care center with all three of her children in the car. Her blood
alcohol content is 0.26, more than three times the legal limit.

Sept. 10, 2005

• Celene Gray picks up children from ex-husband, John Gray’s house. She
goes home, falls asleep after a night of drinking. When she wakes up,
she can’t find daughter, Haley, 4.

• Haley is found inside her mom’s locked 2004 Mitsubishi Montero, naked
and choking on her own vomit. Haley is admitted to Phoenix Children’s
Hospital where a CPS caseworker signs over care of Gray’s two sons to
their father.
Sept. 14, 2005

• Haley Gray dies.

Feb. 23, 2006

• Acting on a tip that Celene Gray is planning to get her children and
leave the area, Scottsdale police arrest Gray on suspicion of felony
child abuse, aggravated endangering and DUI.
March 9

• John Gray and his attorney, Jorge Franco, file a notice of a wrongful
death with Gov. Janet Napolitano’s office, Attorney General Terry
Goddard’s office and CPS, a precursor to a lawsuit. Attorney General’s
office has 60 days to respond, but a Goddard spokesman said the office
will fight the claim.

SOURCES: Child Protective Services reports, Glendale and Scottsdale
police departments, CPS reports






CURRENTLY CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES VIOLATES MORE CIVIL RIGHTS ON A
DAILY BASIS THEN ALL OTHER AGENCIES COMBINED INCLUDING THE NSA / CIA
WIRETAPPING PROGRAM....

CPS Does not protect children...
It is sickening how many children are subject to abuse, neglect and even
killed at the hands of Child Protective Services.

every parent should read this .pdf from
connecticut dcf watch...

http://www.connecticutdcfwatch.com/8x11.pdf

http://www.connecticutdcfwatch.com

Number of Cases per 100,000 children in the US
These numbers come from The National Center on
Child Abuse and Neglect in Washington. (NCCAN)
Recent numbers have increased significantly for CPS

*Perpetrators of Maltreatment*

Physical Abuse CPS 160, Parents 59
Sexual Abuse CPS 112, Parents 13
Neglect CPS 410, Parents 241
Medical Neglect CPS 14 Parents 12
Fatalities CPS 6.4, Parents 1.5

Imagine that, 6.4 children die at the hands of the very agencies that
are supposed to protect them and only 1.5 at the hands of parents per
100,000 children. CPS perpetrates more abuse, neglect, and sexual abuse
and kills more children then parents in the United States. If the
citizens of this country hold CPS to the same standards that they hold
parents too. No judge should ever put another child in the hands of ANY
government agency because CPS nationwide is guilty of more harm and
death than any human being combined. CPS nationwide is guilty of more
human rights violations and deaths of children then the homes from which
they were removed. When are the judges going to wake up and see that
they are sending children to their death and a life of abuse when
children are removed from safe homes based on the mere opinion of a
bunch of social workers.


CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES, HAPPILY DESTROYING THOUSANDS OF INNOCENT
FAMILIES YEARLY NATIONWIDE AND COMING TO YOU'RE HOME SOON...


BE SURE TO FIND OUT WHERE YOUR CANDIDATES STANDS ON THE ISSUE OF
REFORMING OR ABOLISHING CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES ("MAKE YOUR CANDIDATES
TAKE A STAND ON THIS ISSUE.") THEN REMEMBER TO VOTE ACCORDINGLY IF THEY
ARE "FAMILY UNFRIENDLY" IN THE NEXT ELECTION...

"fx" wrote in message
...
Dad seeks CPS reforms after child's death
Mike Sakal, Tribune

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/66614

As soon as John Gray moved to Arizona from Florida last year, he began
battling Child Protective Services to gain the care of his three children
and get them away from his ex-wife.

An ex-convict fresh off a 21-month prison sentence, Gray's persistent and
angry manner with CPS worked against him as he tried to convince
caseworkers his former spouse was a danger to the children, CPS and prison
records said.

Now, after the death last year of 4-year-old Haley Gray while in the
custody of her mother, John Gray has turned his intensity on reforming the
state agency he says failed his family.

Gray is fighting to change the way CPS handles its own investigations. He
filed a notice of a wrongful death lawsuit with state Attorney General
Terry Goddard's office in March. He and his attorney, Jorge Franco, said
they are readying a lawsuit in Maricopa County Superior Court.

Gray launched a Web site, azcpsabuse.com, that calls out CPS for not
admitting to wrongdoing in the deaths of children he said have been placed
in danger by the agency's decisions.

Gray is also pushing legislators to enact "Haley's Law," which - if
passed - would mean the loss of parenting rights for those who have their
children taken away by CPS three times. The proposal has gained the
support of at least one area lawmaker.

It's a neat idea...in writing.
Unfortunately, we'll probably see a lot more TPRS if that passes.



"There needs to be some changes with CPS, and there needs to be some
reform," Gray said. "CPS has never found itself responsible of any
wrongdoing in the many cases where children have died in the care of a
parent where they shouldn't have been. If one child can be saved from
changes being made at CPS, it will be worth it."

John Gray provided records to the Tribune and said that different
decisions by many people could have resulted in a different outcome for
Haley.

CPS could have taken the children away from Celene Gray, 35, a Scottsdale
exotic dancer who was required to complete CPS-ordered alcohol treatment
programs.

Celene Gray could have kept better track of her children on Sept. 10, the
day reports show she was asleep while Haley had gone inside her mother's
Mitsubishi Montero looking for a makeup case, CPS officials believe.

And John Gray could have stayed out of prison and presented himself in a
better manner to CPS caseworkers.

None of those things happened.

Instead, Haley Gray was found inside the hot vehicle, naked and choking on
her own vomit. She died four days later.

Celene Gray could not be reached for comment, and her attorney, Daniel
Raynak, also declined to grant an interview on her behalf. The Tribune
also requested interviews with David Berns, director of CPS, but the
agency declined.

PAST PROBLEMS

John Gray said he met Celene at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting in Seattle
in the 1990s. They were married in 1996.

They later moved to Florida, where they began experiencing problems in the
marriage, and were divorced in 2004. Celene Gray was granted sole custody
of the children because John Gray was incarcerated at the time.

"When we lived in Florida, it lent itself to a lifestyle where we made
some wrong decisions," John Gray admitted.

Gray said he has been sober for 15 years. And Franco, his attorney, said
he believes John Gray's pending case has merit despite his past.

Gray was jailed after he violated a restraining order five times that
prohibited him from seeing his ex-wife and children, and was charged with
identity theft, according to CPS documents and records obtained from the
Pinellas County Jail in Florida.

"John Gray has done some things that are marks against his character, but
never did it involve his ability of being a parent or his capabilities of
caring for his children," Franco said.

Arizona CPS reports show the agency was wrestling with John Gray's
persistence and profanity that sometimes elevated to angry outbursts with
caseworkers.

CPS required Gray to complete an anger-management course and allowed him
to have only supervised visits with his children.

"I am not a perfect man," said Gray, who works as a regional sales manager
for company involved in laser optic machines. "I know I have made some
mistakes, but never have I done anything to indicate that I was a danger
to my children. I have called CPS at least 100 times to voice my concerns,
but they ignored me. It was a daily struggle, until Haley died."

REPORTS OF NEGLECT

CPS reports state that Celene Gray sometimes smelled of alcohol when she
picked up the three children from day care or the babysitter.

She had picked up the children at John Gray's home on Sept. 10, took them
home and fell asleep after a night of drinking, CPS reports state.

Celene Gray has pleaded not guilty to felony charges of child abuse from
that incident and a separate aggravated DUI in 2004, when police say she
was involved in a minor collision in Glendale with her three children. In
that incident, Celene Gray's blood alcohol level was 0.26 - more than
three times the legal limit - after she picked her three children up at
their day care center, according to CPS reports.

She has a pretrial court hearing on July 5 on both cases.

Despite suspicion of Celene Gray's alcohol-related offenses, CPS returned
the care of the children to her two out of three times, according to CPS
documents.

And just a few days before his daughter became locked in the hot car - on
Sept. 8 and 9 - John Gray complained to CPS that Celene allowed Haley to
sleep in the same bed with her and another man, according to a CPS report.
The agency investigated the claim and determined there was no
inappropriate sexual activity, records show.

It wasn't until after Haley was hospitalized on Sept. 10 that a CPS
caseworker signed over care of the two boys, now ages 6 and 7, to John
Gray. That was the day Haley was admitted to Phoenix Children's Hospital
on the brink of death.

REFORMS SOUGHT

The attorney general's office is preparing for a legal battle against John
Gray to avoid liability, said Steve Wilson, a spokesman in Goddard's
office. While a legal showdown is pending, reforms are also moving
forward.

John Gray had hoped for legislators to attach "Haley's Law" to HB2048, but
it was crafted too late to make this year's session and be added to the
bill, he said.

The bill was drafted by the House Committee on Government Operations and
Waste on which Rep. John Allen, RScottsdale, serves as chairman. The bill
was passed on April 25.

It requires CPS to file reports twice yearly to various Human and Family
Services committees in the House and Senate.

"Haley's Law," if passed, would require CPS to obtain the records from
out-of-state agencies if the parent in question had a history of problems
elsewhere.

John Gray had told caseworkers his wife had problems with Florida's CPS
agency, but they didn't obtain the Florida records.

"There is no external review for CPS outside of CPS, and that needs to
change," said Allen, who said he supports John Gray's ideas on CPS reform.

Gray case timeline

Sept. 24, 2004

. Celene Gray is arrested by Glendale police on suspicion of an aggravated
DUI.

. Gray is involved in a fender bender three blocks from her children's day
care center with all three of her children in the car. Her blood alcohol
content is 0.26, more than three times the legal limit.

Sept. 10, 2005

. Celene Gray picks up children from ex-husband, John Gray's house. She
goes home, falls asleep after a night of drinking. When she wakes up, she
can't find daughter, Haley, 4.

. Haley is found inside her mom's locked 2004 Mitsubishi Montero, naked
and choking on her own vomit. Haley is admitted to Phoenix Children's
Hospital where a CPS caseworker signs over care of Gray's two sons to
their father.
Sept. 14, 2005

. Haley Gray dies.

Feb. 23, 2006

. Acting on a tip that Celene Gray is planning to get her children and
leave the area, Scottsdale police arrest Gray on suspicion of felony child
abuse, aggravated endangering and DUI.
March 9

. John Gray and his attorney, Jorge Franco, file a notice of a wrongful
death with Gov. Janet Napolitano's office, Attorney General Terry Goddard's
office and CPS, a precursor to a lawsuit. Attorney General's office has 60
days to respond, but a Goddard spokesman said the office will fight the
claim.

SOURCES: Child Protective Services reports, Glendale and Scottsdale police
departments, CPS reports






CURRENTLY CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES VIOLATES MORE CIVIL RIGHTS ON A DAILY
BASIS THEN ALL OTHER AGENCIES COMBINED INCLUDING THE NSA / CIA WIRETAPPING
PROGRAM....

CPS Does not protect children...
It is sickening how many children are subject to abuse, neglect and even
killed at the hands of Child Protective Services.

every parent should read this .pdf from
connecticut dcf watch...

http://www.connecticutdcfwatch.com/8x11.pdf

http://www.connecticutdcfwatch.com

Number of Cases per 100,000 children in the US
These numbers come from The National Center on
Child Abuse and Neglect in Washington. (NCCAN)
Recent numbers have increased significantly for CPS

*Perpetrators of Maltreatment*

Physical Abuse CPS 160, Parents 59
Sexual Abuse CPS 112, Parents 13
Neglect CPS 410, Parents 241
Medical Neglect CPS 14 Parents 12
Fatalities CPS 6.4, Parents 1.5

Imagine that, 6.4 children die at the hands of the very agencies that are
supposed to protect them and only 1.5 at the hands of parents per 100,000
children. CPS perpetrates more abuse, neglect, and sexual abuse and kills
more children then parents in the United States. If the citizens of this
country hold CPS to the same standards that they hold parents too. No
judge should ever put another child in the hands of ANY government agency
because CPS nationwide is guilty of more harm and death than any human
being combined. CPS nationwide is guilty of more human rights violations
and deaths of children then the homes from which they were removed. When
are the judges going to wake up and see that they are sending children to
their death and a life of abuse when children are removed from safe homes
based on the mere opinion of a bunch of social workers.


CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES, HAPPILY DESTROYING THOUSANDS OF INNOCENT
FAMILIES YEARLY NATIONWIDE AND COMING TO YOU'RE HOME SOON...


BE SURE TO FIND OUT WHERE YOUR CANDIDATES STANDS ON THE ISSUE OF REFORMING
OR ABOLISHING CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES ("MAKE YOUR CANDIDATES TAKE A
STAND ON THIS ISSUE.") THEN REMEMBER TO VOTE ACCORDINGLY IF THEY ARE
"FAMILY UNFRIENDLY" IN THE NEXT ELECTION...