 |
|
|
E-mail
Support To The Gravelles | |
|
........... Family Defense Network of Ohio Office Box 26348 Cleveland, Ohio 44126 (800) 438-8277 |
|
 |
The REAL story of the "children in cages."
Did a social worker make such serious mistakes that the county is now doing damage control?
Watch the video clips below and make up your own mind!
In September of 2005, a social worker for the Huron County Department of Children's Services claims to have received a complaint that Michael and Sharen Gravelle were abusing their 11 special needs children by locking them in "cages." The social worker listed a friend of the Gravelles as the person reporting the abuse. The friend later testified under oath in court that he had NEVER FILED A COMPLAINT against the Gravelles. He testified, "I never filed a complaint! A lot of this is fictitious. This is the first I heard of it." The friend also testified that he saw NO REASON to alert the authorities. He stated, "I didn't see any abuse in that house whatsoever." Although it appears that there was no official report of abuse, the social worker showed up at the front door of the Gravelles and gained entry to the home. When she asked about the "cages" the children were allegedly locked in, Sharen Gravelle pointed to the small dog cage and stated, "That is the only cage in this house." The social worker was then shown the enclosures built around the children's beds to protect them at night, and to alert the parents if one of the children exited the enclosure. The enclosures were NEVER locked. The social worker returned to her department where she complied a statement against the Gravelles in order to obtain a court order to remove the children from the home. In her complaint, she INCLUDED THE DIMENSIONS OF THE DOG CAGE, implying that the children were kept in the extremely small area reserved for the dogs. The judge presiding over the case listened to five days of testimony. When the hearing was concluded, the judge ruled that the Gravelles had abused their children. This case needs to be appealed, and we need your help! Below are some video clips taken from the DVD Video, "The REAL 'Children In Cages' story." You may obtain a free copy of this 30 minute video by contacting the Family Defense Network of Ohio. If you wish to contribute to the Gravelle Defense Fund, you can send your contribution, no matter how small, to "The Gravelle Fund at Key Bank," 11 West Main Street, Wakeman, Ohio 44889.
Unable to view these video clips? Click here to download the free Quicktime Movie Viewer.
Michael and Sharen Gravelle live in Huron County, Ohio. They adopted eleven special needs children with disorders that range from Reactive Attachment Disorder to HIV. These are children that could not be placed elsewhere, and that nobody else wanted.
Social worker Jo Johnson claims that she was contacted by a friend of the Gravelles to report that they were abusing their children. See what the friend said under oath in court about his "complaint."
Is the Social Worker your Friend?
When the social worker approached the Gravelle home, she was smiling and acting as though she was their friend. In this clip, Michael Gravelle explains how he had no idea what Jo Johnson was planning to do.
In this video clip, Michael and Sharen explain how they reacted when the social worker accused them of locking their children in cages
Sharen explains how afraid she was to refuse the demands of the social worker. Like thousands of other parents in this country, she cooperated because she was afraid of "losing it all."
Why Should I Worry, I Have Nothing To Hide
Michael Gravelle explains how he decided to show the social worker the beds because he knew he had done nothing wrong.
Don't Worry, It's No Big Thing!
Michael explains how the social worker told him that this case was "no big thing," and left the home. Little did he know she would show up four hours later with the police to take their children.
Really Judge, I Saw It With My Own Eyes!
Social worker Jo Johnson was quick to return to her department where she formulated her complaint against the Gravelles. When she went to the judge with her facts, she included the dog cage as one of the quarters the children were forced to stay in!
It's All In The Size, The Angels Are Busy
The Gravelles discuss what was going through their minds as their children were lined up in the yard by the social workers and police before they were taken away.
Social worker Elaine Thompson has attempted to help the Gravelles in their fight against the county's abuse of power. She doesn't pull any punches in this interview with a Cleveland newsman.
"I Got In, And The Cages Are Here!"
The social worker did not have a warrant to enter the Gravelle home. After being given permission to enter by the Gravelles, she left the home and immediately called the Sheriff's Department to exclaim, "I got in! And the cages are here!"
The Gravelles may NEVER get their children back
In this news story, it is apparent that Huron County has no intention of returning any of the children to their parents. Although the county has threatened to charge the Gravelles with Child Abuse, it is doubtful that that this will take place, because then the Gravelles would be allowed to have a trial in front of a jury, something the county does not want to happen.
Even The Newsman Picked up on This One
You can tell from this news broadcast that there are real questions why the testimony of "experts" who had never seen the Gravelle children was considered by the judge, and the testimony of experts who had known the children for years was ignored.
In this video clip, Sharen Gravelle tries to tell the public what has given her strength in raising the 11 special needs children.
Mike Tells Us What Is Important
In this video clip, Michael Gravelle tries to share with the public what he felt was the most important issue in the raising of the children who have been taken by the county.
Here Is How To Help The Gravelles
This clip explains how to help the Gravelles in their fight to get their children back.