How Could You? Hall of Shame-Congo Adoptive Father Jeremy Ruble UPDATED

This will be an archive of heinous actions by those involved in child welfare, foster care and adoption. We forewarn you that these are deeply disturbing stories that may involve sex abuse, murder, kidnapping and other horrendous actions.

From Oceana County, Michigan, Congo adoptive father  and fourth grade school teacher Jeremy Ruble, 37, “charged with one count each of second degree and fourth degree child abuse after waiving his arraignment Wednesday in Oceana County District Court; a preliminary conference is scheduled for Aug. 1, according to the prosecutor’s office.”

A Mt. Pleasant elementary school teacher faces child abuse charges in Oceana County after witnesses told police the man repeatedly held a child’s head underwater as beach-goers watched last week.

Ruble is listed as a fourth grade teacher on the Vowles Elementary website and though his name is not used, staff at the school received an email from the district’s administration Wednesday evening.

Noting the administrators learned of criminal charges filed against Ruble through media reports and not through any official notification, Assistant Superintendent Jennifer Verleger acknowledged a “criminal situation” involving a Vowles staff member and encouraged employees to refer any questions to the district’s central office.

“As a member of the Vowles’ staff, you may be approached for your reaction to this situation by members of the media or the Mt. Pleasant community,” she wrote. “While you should not feel obligated to respond to them, please feel free to encourage anyone to contact Central Office with their questions and concerns. In most cases, ‘no comment’ is often the best response.”

Verleger said Thursday morning administrators were still sorting through specifics and working with legal counsel to ensure district policies and state law are followed.

On July 13, concerned witnesses told police Ruble repeatedly held a child’s head under water in view of beach-goers at Oceana County’s Silver Lake State Park, leading to a felony child abuse warrant for the man’s arrest.

The Oceana County Sheriff’s Department was called to the beach just after 5 p.m. Wednesday to investigate reports that Ruble dragged his adopted son into the lake and pushed the 5-year-old’s head under water multiple times, MLive reported.

Several witnesses intervened, stopping the man from continuing to hold the boy under water, police said.

Ruble was arrested and bonded out of the Oceana County Jail.”

Mt. Pleasant man charged with child abuse in Oceana County [The Morning Sun 7/20/16 by Lisa Yanick-Jonaitis]

“Several witnesses – including an Ionia County Circuit Court judge who was on vacation – told police they watched a Mt. Pleasant man now charged with child abuse push his 5-year-old son’s head under water more than once at a popular Oceana County beach last week.

The man’s wife also told police her husband pulled their son into the water but said he was disciplining the boy for pushing another underwater earlier in the day.

A group of beach-goers approached Jeremy Ruble, 37, a Mt. Pleasant elementary school teacher, after witnessing Ruble pull his son into the lake until the water was up to about Ruble’s knees and push the child under water at least twice, according to a police report obtained by the Morning Sun from the Oceana County Sheriff’s Department through the Freedom of Information Act.

Most of the witnesses interviewed by police at the beach said they were at varying locations along the lake, while Circuit Court Judge Suzanne Hoseth-Kreeger – who confirmed she was spending time at the beach while on vacation – was actually wading in the water further from the shore than Ruble, according to the report.

Hoseth-Kreeger left before police arrived and was interviewed later in the evening on July 13, after other witnesses were interviewed at the beach and Ruble was arrested.

After hearing a commotion behind her in the water, Hoseth-Kreeger said she turned toward the beach and at that time hear Ruble ask his son, “Would you like someone to do this to do you?” she told police.

The judge became concerned for the boy’s safety as she watched Ruble dunk his head underwater and began walking toward the situation, according to the report, saying, “Sir,” twice to get Ruble’s attention.

“(Hoseth-Kreeger) described (Ruble’s) behavior as being very focused and intense on this child,” the police report reads. “She said that the little boy was not crying, but it appeared as though he was in shock.”

The child went completely under water twice and was gasping for air, Hoseth-Kreeger told police.

“Hoseth-Kreeger said that she is concerned not only because of his actions in public, but also for the potential for violence to the child when no one else was around,” the report reads; the judge told police she intended to contact Child Protective Services.

James Toth, a 49-year-old man who is listed as the complainant in the police report said he was on the beach when he saw Ruble at the edge of the water and heard Ruble say to his son, “I’m going to teach you what it’s like to be under water,” according to the police report.

Describing Ruble’s behavior as irrational and very aggressive, Toth told police Ruble appeared to be “on a mission.”

On the north end of the beach, Chad Ireland, 33, was building sand castles with his son when his wife pointed out a commotion in the water, according to the report.

Ruble was already in the water, dragging his son by the handle of the life jacket, Ireland told police.

He watched as Ruble dunked the child under water for a “second or two,” then ran over to Ruble where other witnesses were also confronting the Mt. Pleasant man.

Ireland told Ruble the behavior was unacceptable and Ruble said his son, “was being mean to another kid,” according to police.

Andy Lee and Christy Lou Gary were 50 yards away when Ruble grabbed his son and dragged him to the water; Andy Lee Gary told police Ruble was “very mad” and that “the kid was scared,” according to the police report.

“Andy said that it was a very scary situation,” police noted in the report, and the Garys watched as others confronted Ruble on the beach.

An umbrella sat between Nicholas Berno and the lake as Berno lounged on the edge of concrete next to the sand last Wednesday evening when he saw a child being dragged across the beach, according to the report.

Berno told police he could see the child’s feet were barely on the ground, and like other witnesses, saw Ruble dragging the 5-year-old by his life jacket.

Berno began walking toward Ruble but said when he saw the man head into the water and dunk the child under water, his walk turned into a run as Ruble held the boy underwater for two or three seconds, pulled him up for “half a second” then pushed him under again, according to the report.

Thomas Wright, a 42-year-old man also saw Ruble push the child underwater, pull him up and immediately “slam” the 5-year-old back underwater after watching him pull the boy into the lake, according to the police report.

Wright described Ruble’s behavior as “forceful” and with “an aggressive pace” and tried to intervene as multiple people approached the man after the incident.

Ruble’s wife Jennifer Ruble told police her husband took their baby to a camper to go to sleep while she stayed with their other two children, according to the police report.

Their 5-year-old son and his sibling were playing with other children when the 5-year-old jumped on the back of another child and pushed him under the water, she said.

Jennifer Ruble told police the 5-year-old is recently adopted and “does not know how to play with other kids,” according to the report; she placed him on a concrete area at the beach for a time out and called her husband for help with the children.

When Ruble came back, he talked to the boy then brought him over to the water where he splashed him, then pushed the child under water, Jennifer Ruble told police according to the report; at that point, multiple people ran over to the man and his son, she said.

“(Jennifer Ruble) said that from where she was at, it didn’t look good,” the report reads.

After the incident, Jennifer Ruble said she packed up the family’s things to leave the beach, according to the police report.

Jeremy Ruble told police that in response to the boy’s behavior with the other child, Ruble pushed his son into the water and explained to the boy that, “this is what it feels like when you do it to other people,” according to the report.

Admitting that he did not feel his own actions were a great choice, Ruble denied that his child was ever submerged under water despite police sharing that witnesses said the child was submerged, according to the report.

Ruble said he was yelling at his son when police asked if he was angry, and said the boy knew he was in trouble so was moving slowly as they walked toward the lake, police wrote in the report.

Ruble said he pushed his son toward the water after walking 20 to 25 feet off shore, grabbed the back of the life jacket, then splashed water in the boy’s face.

When police interviewed the boy, they noted he was reluctant to speak, but said his father pushed him into the water so he “could feel.”

“I asked (the child) if he went under the water,” police wrote in the report. “(The child) then covered his hands with his mouth and said that he couldn’t breathe.”

Police arrested Ruble and he was lodged at the Oceana County Jail before bonding out.

Ruble, who is listed as a fourth grade teacher at Mt. Pleasant’s Vowles Elementary school, faces a charge of second degree child abuse and another of fourth degree child abuse after waiving an arraignment hearing this week; he is scheduled for a preliminary conference on Aug. 1 in Oceana County for the charges.”

Report: Judge among those who saw Mt. Pleasant man dunk son [Macomb Daily 7/22/16 by Lisa Yanick-Jonaitis]

“Trouble was apparently brewing for a Mt. Pleasant-area man charged with child abuse in Oceana County and his wife prior to his arrest earlier this month.

Jeremy and Jen Ruble are now facing child protective services proceedings in Isabella County.

Officials with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services last week filed a protective petition on Jeremy and Jen Ruble after prosectors charged Jeremy with second-degree and fourth-degree child abuse in connection with allegedly holding his adopted 5-year-old son’s head under water at a popular beach in Oceana County July 13.

Pre-trial hearings for the couple’s three adopted children – ages 1, 5 and 6 – are scheduled for August, following CPS officials originally assisting the family after Jen reported in May that the 5-year-old “threatened to harm” the youngest child and “tried to attack her,” then opening an investigation after Jeremy Ruble was arrested, according to court documents.

The youngest child was adopted privately in Michigan, and the other two were adopted from the Congo, with the 5-year-old having issues because of malnutrition and trauma, Jen Ruble told CPS officials.

Jen told state officials that the boy “has been struggling with attachment and adjustment to life in Michigan,” and he kicks, scratches and bites, according to court documents.

State officials noted on the petition that Jen posted in May on her Facebook page, which was public, “What the hell do I do with this child?!?!?!? I want to die. I want to smash his head into the concrete and ship him back. I’m sorry if this is offensive but a trigger for me is DEFINITELY trying to hurt the baby. When do you call it enough is enough and admit this child to the psych ward? THIS IS NOT OK. I cannot breathe.”

A physician in May referred the boy to an occupational therapist “to assist with his sensory disorder and emotional issues. Jen Ruble stated (the physician) was referring them for ‘wraparound’ services. The Rubles failed to comply with this treatment,” according to court documents.

Jen Ruble told police during the investigation of her husband in Oceana County that she “could see how this was a bad choice” when discussing Jeremy holding the 5-year-old’s head under water according to court documents.

Officials from CPS started its investigation of the Oceana County incident the following day, arranging for the children to have forensic interviews at the Child and Family Enrichment center in Mt. Pleasant, but “on July 20, both parents expressed refusal to allow CPS to interview the children,” according to the petition.

“Jen Ruble reported to CPS that she wants to support her husband in regard to his criminal case and that is why she is refusing to allow CPS to interview the children,” according to the petition.

CPS reported in the petition that the Rubles agreed to implement a safety play in May, “which included having Mr. Ruble’s parents, the Rubles’ friends, babysitters and church family available to provide respite care if either parent became overwhelmed; for the Rubles to contact (an agency) about additional post-adoption support services; for the Rubles to allow the CPS worker to speak to (a counselor) openly about Mrs. Ruble’s Facebook posts; and to follow through with (the physician’s) recommendations for (the 5-year-old boy),” according to the petition.

“Reasonable efforts include the above-mentioned safety plan in May 2016, and a current safety plan which includes having Jeremy Ruble out of the home, supervised visitation for Mr. Ruble and his parents, family/friends in the home with Mrs. Ruble present at all times, attempted forensic interviews, offered psychological evaluations (and counseling),” according to the petition.

Although the Rubles adopted the elder children from the Congo in 2013, governmental restrictions kept them from bringing them home until January, according to court documents.[Well, that’s interesting! Because  legal letters didn’t start again till February 2016!]

Several witnesses [at least 9!] saw the incident at the beach in Oceana County, some approaching Jeremy to attempt to help the boy.

Jeremy Ruble is a teacher at Vowles Elementary School in Mt. Pleasant.”

Child Protective Services files petition against Mt. Pleasant teacher, wife [The Morning Sun 7/25/16 by Susan Field]

Here is her blog: http://jenruble.com/blog/

REFORM Puzzle Piece

Update: “Mt. Pleasant’s Jeremy L. Ruble will be on probation for half a year after pleading no contest to charge of fourth-degree child abuse.

The charge stems from an incident late in the afternoon July 13, 2016 at a swimming area in Oceana County’s Silver Lake State Park.

At the time, the Oceana County Sheriff’s office said several witnesses reported Ruble forcefully held his 5-year-old son’s head under the water several times. Some had intervened to try to protect the child.

A contest plea is not an admission of guilt but is often treated like one for purposes of sentencing.

Ruble was sentenced Monday, Oct. 24 after entering a no contest plea. He’ll be on probation for six months and be asked to pay $925 in court costs and fines, a court clerk said.”
Dad pleads no contest to abuse for holding head of child, 5, under water
[MLive 10/31/16 by Stephen Kloosterman]