Special Facepalm: David Guterson

AAI apologist and client, author, and homeschooling adoptive parent David Guterson receives a special facepalm this week for his hypocritical opinion piece here on the Hana and Immanuel Williams trial  in The Seattle Times published on September 12, 2013, just three days after the verdict. A secondary facepalm goes out to former JCICS executive director  and former executive director for  two agencies Maureen McCauley Evans for highlighting this piece of on her blog here. Both of these tools for the industry are doing their best to shunt away any blame that the industry  has on abuse of adoptees. You see, unlicensed agencies were part of JCICS when she was heading it. So her talk about standards is a joke.

As for Guterson, HE is the one that publicized the defense that Carri actually used in the trial a mere seven weeks after it became public that Hana’s death was suspicious! He PUBLICLY SURMISED that Hana could have killed herself! We are the only ones that captured that. See here and scroll to Update 5 which analyzed  Questions Surround Death Of Hana Williams[ KUOW Radio Show 9/12/11 by Amy Radil]

It bears repeating, so we are pasting the important parts. The transcript says the following: “Among the vigil organizers was the Bainbridge Island–based writer David Guterson, who adopted a child from Ethiopia four years ago. He used the same agency that the Williams family used when they adopted Hana and her brother Immanuel.

Guterson: “There were a couple things that concerned me. One was that the case of Hana Williams had the potential to sow some seeds of misunderstanding between the adoptive community and the Ethiopian community.” [AGENCY PROTECTION]

Guterson’s appointed task for the vigil was to give whatever background he could find about Hana’s early life. He says adoption records[How did he get a hold of those?] stated only that Hana’s biological mother disappeared, her father had died and she was placed in an orphanage. She and her brother apparently joined the Williams family in part because Immanuel is deaf, and the family speaks sign language. But Guterson was able learn almost nothing about the time Hana spent in the US.

Meanwhile, rumors have swirled about the family’s discipline methods and harsh treatment of Hana.

But Guterson says he’s trying to keep himself and others from rushing to judgment. Guterson’s father was a criminal attorney in Seattle, and he says he grew up hearing how easily facts can be misconstrued.

Guterson: “Hypothetically, it could be that this girl was suffering terribly from depression and anorexia and other emotional and psychological problems, that she was running away from home, that this family was doing everything they could to help her, but in the end she died of hypothermia in her own yard. We simply don’t know. It could be that, or it could be something horrible; it could be terrible abuse. We don’t know.”

We went on to say:

“1. From his biography it says that he homeschools, just like the Williams family. Furthermore, he wrote a book on it. One of his books is entitled  Family Matters: Why Homeschooling Makes Sense (1992).  So it is hard to believe that he is this innocent bystander who is commenting and wanting to join the communities together when he has a book to sell and an educational belief system that he doesn’t want challenged.

2.Twenty-one days after Hana’s death, he spoke with AAI (Washington) client and author Melissa Faye Greene at an ECMA function  entitled Melissa Fay Greene & David Guterson:International Adoption .

3. The AAI head and unashamed seller of the #4 most racist toy ever sold–the Golliwog , Merrily Ripley, attended this event and she gushed about it on the AAI blog .  I wonder if she brought her Golliwogs to the ECMA event?”

In another update, we shared that the ties go EVEN DEEPER. Guterson allowed his child to be featured in a book in which the profits go to a special adoption fund for special needs children adopted from AAI including those that are deaf (like Immanuel). We have not been able to verify if the Williams used this fund.

“As if this is not disturbing enough, we have found another link with David Guterson and AAI at http://www.precious.org/blog/adoption-information/news/faces-of-layla-a-journey-through-ethiopian-adoption/237 It appears that the 2007 book Faces of Layla: A Journey Through Ethiopian Adoption, A Full Color Photo Essay, Photography by Emma Dodge Hanson, Forward by Melissa Fay Greene was written about Mr. Guterson’s child in Layla House, the AAI orphanage. According to Amazon.com, one retailer of this book, the proceeds of this book go to the Grace Fund  which is used to “reduce the agency fees paid by the family. Funds could be available for families adopting children designated by AAI as more difficult to place. These would include: 1. Boys 10 and older or sibling groups of boys where the youngest is 6 or older 2. Sibling groups of 3 or more 3. Girls 12 and older (single or in sibling groups) 4. Children (any age) with special needs (e.g. blind, deaf, HIV+ sibling) 5. Children (any age) who have been at Layla House for more than 18 months.””

So when we look at his op-ed, he now hypocritically claims to be for adoption reform.But he really tries to yet again protect HIS educational belief system when he says “While the Williams case should galvanize political will behind adoption reform, proposals will have to strike the right balance between the productive and the possible. Calls for increased scrutiny of adoptive parents or for limiting their parental rights will immediately run afoul of the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees the liberty of parents to raise their children free of state interference.

To put this another way, the minute a child is legally adopted, adoptive parents have rights over him or her that were not in place the minute before.”

He does NOT want more scrutiny postplacement! How dare anyone question how homeschooling can be used to isolate children. This is all about him and wanting to protect HIS right to homeschool and protect his reputation. He calls for BALANCE. This isn’t the high school debate club. Adoptees are being placed with unprepared, savior-mentality people who either cannot or won’t seek postplacement services. Change needs to occur in several areas and it needs to start now.

He gives the cookie-cutter, no-brain response to reform “Given these realities, efforts at adoption reform should focus on vetting prospective adoptive parents and on insuring that children are not placed in homes where they will be abused. Current preplacement and home-study practices don’t work.” Way to be specific!

He talks about the Washington Severe Abuse Report but fails to mention the important conclusions which are NOT just prospective parent vetting, but deal with THE INDUSTRY HE IS TRYING TO PROTECT and POSTPLACEMENT services. ALL of them RIGHTLY seek to change the pathetic process put forth by the industry.

The 49-page report is available at Scribd here.

“The report suggests the state should:

– Strengthen Oversight of Child Placing Agencies

– Develop and Distribute “Red Flags” On Troubled Adoptions – Track Adoption Disruption and Dissolution

– Increase Qualifications for Individuals Conducting Adoption Home Studies and Post-Placement Reports

– Enhance Minimum Requirements for Adoption Home Studies

– Make Sure All Home Studies Are Filed With Courts – Improve Training For Parents

– Create Minimum Requirements for Child Placing Agency Staff

– Train Professionals Involved in Adoption Process

– Enhance Support Services for Adoptive Families.”

So, David, you and your industry , . You have done enough damage. Slither back into the hole you came from.