Ann is only 5 years old. She should not be forced to live with a man she no longer knows and is not related to.
Why does this matter to us?
She loves her dad and wants to live with him. He is her biological father and has never been accused of wrongdoing or a crime… But in spite of all that, she is being sent to live part-time with a man who is completely unrelated to her. Unless someone steps in…
Ann lives with her dad, Chris, in Denton County, Texas. Chris works in sales, provides for his family, loves the Texas Rangers and watching his daughter cheer.
She has lived with her dad full-time since she lost her mom two years ago.
She was happy again.
But now, everything is crashing down…
A court ruled, although it agreed Chris was a completely fit parent who raised his daughter well, that he would have to let Ann live part-time with another man. Not a relative. A man who had been engaged to Ann’s mom for 3 months and now wants to share custody.
Ann’s dad wasn’t accused of doing anything wrong. But he was told he had to share custody anyway. Because someone else wants her.
The court gave a non-relative custody. All on the grounds that a biological father had no more right to his own daughter than someone else who wanted her. Being her parent simply didn’t make a difference.
Ann’s dad is now fighting for her at the Texas Supreme Court. If he loses, so will she.
If Ann and Chris lose, so will all Texas families. A legal precedent will be set.
The Texas Supreme Court temporarily stopped the local court from taking Ann from her dad until they hear the case.
Nobody accused Chris of being a bad father. In fact, all parties in the case acknowledged that Chris was a good father.
The court found that Chris was an entirely fit parent who raised Ann well, but still ruled that Chris had to share custody of Ann with an unrelated man who wanted her.
Chris raised Ann with love and attention. Ann lived approximately half the time with him and half the time with her biological mother after they were separated.
Ann’s mom died in a tragic car accident in 2018. Initially, her maternal grandparents sued Chris for partial custody of Ann. However, the court of appeals dismissed the grandparents on the grounds that Chris was a fit parent who had the right to raise his own daughter. Even so, Ann still visits her grandparents regularly.
While the court of appeals agreed that Chris should be allowed to raise Ann instead of his in-laws, the trial court still decided Chris should share custody with an unrelated man.
Ann’s mom had been living with her boyfriend and was engaged 3 months before her death. Ann had lived with him off and on for no more than 6 months while they dated, since her biological parents shared custody.
When Chris sought to dismiss the maternal grandparents from the lawsuit, the boyfriend-turned-fiance of Ann’s deceased mother’s also sued for custody. The trial court then granted the unrelated man partial custody of 5-year-old Ann.
Ann was only 3 years old when she last lived with the boyfriend then-fiance. She has lived with her dad ever since. Now Ann is 5. She barely knows this man.
Ann is only 5 years old. She should not be forced to live with a man she no longer knows and is not related to.
Why does this matter to us?
The rights of all Texas families are at risk. This case will set a precedent.
If Ann’s dad loses his appeal to the Texas Supreme Court, legal precedent will be set for non-parents with no legitimate legal claim or connection to sue for AND win custody of children from their families.
If Chris and Ann lose, Texas families and children lose.
Ann’s case could become the most significant parental rights case in Texas history.
Call Governor Abbott and ask him to speak up to help LetAnnStay with her dad
TX Attorney General
President, Texas Home School Coalition
President, Alliance Defending Freedom
President, Parental Rights Foundation
TX Public Policy Foundation – Center for Families and Children, Director
Ann’s mother and father, then separated, agreed to a schedule of approximately 50/50 custody of Ann. Ann spent approximately half her time with each parent.
Ann’s mother died in a tragic car accident. She and her boyfriend had become engaged 3 months before.
Ann lived with her father, Chris, full-time.
Chris’ inlaws, the maternal grandparents of Ann, filed an intervening lawsuit seeking joint-custody of Ann with Chris. Chris had always allowed his in-laws a significant role in Ann’s life.
The boyfriend-turned-fiancé of Ann’s mother filed an intervening lawsuit seeking joint-custody of Ann.
The trial court denied Chris’ request to have the lawsuits by the fiancé and the grandparents dismissed.
The fiancé filed a response to Chris’ argument. The fiancé argued in his brief that Chris’ status as Ann’s biological father should not give him any greater right to custody than the fiancé.
The Texas Supreme Court issued an order temporarily blocking the trial court’s grant of custody to the fiancé and requesting that Chris and the fiancé provide additional briefing to the court.
The Texas Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case. The arguments were hosted online via zoom and live-streamed from the court’s YouTube page.