How Could You? Hall of Shame-Joshua and Courtney Waxler 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 Toledo, Ohio, kinship adoptive parents Joshua and Courtney Waxler, both 24, “are each facing one count of child endangering and are being held in the Lucas County jail in lieu of a $100,000 bond each.

Police allege that the two both assaulted their two adopted children — ages 3 and 5 — sometime in early or mid February [2012]. The assault was reportedly recorded on a cell phone by a relative.”

Joshua and Courtney are the aunt and uncle of the adoptive children.

“Lucas County Children Services received at least one prior phone call “expressing concern” about the well-being of two adopted children in the care of Joshua and Courtney Waxler.”

“Documents filed in Toledo Municipal Court allege that Mr. Waxler beat his 3-year-old adopted daughter with “an adult-size tennis shoe” on her hands and other parts of her body. An affidavit alleges that Mrs. Waxler slapped the 3-year-old girl across the face — on more than one occasion — and also choked the girl and threw her to the ground.

The two girls — who are relatives of the couple — had been in the Waxlers’ care for about three years. The adoption was finalized on May 19, 2011. The Waxlers also have three biological children — a newborn, a 3-year-old, and a 6-year-old.

Mr. Sparks said that the agency received an anonymous call in July 2010. The same day the call came in, a caseworker was at the Waxlers’ East Toledo home, but it’s unclear at this point if the employee was acting on the information or if the timing was coincidental. One of the complaints the agency fielded was that one of the children may have had welts on her body.

That particular caseworker was not available today, but Mr. Sparks said the agency, since being asked this morning about prior complaints, did look at the employee’s notes and did not see anything to indicate there was abuse, neglect, or mistreatment in the home.

“She talked to the kids and did all that, but didn’t say she saw any welts or anything on the kids,” Mr. Sparks said. “We’re going to continue to see if there’s evidence of any other calls.

“ … If someone called us and said these kids are in danger and someone is abusing them and we didn’t do anything, that’s a problem,” Mr. Sparks said. “And we’ll deal with it.”

Mr. Sparks said every call that is made to the agency is recorded and that if other calls were made, officials can go back and listen. Notes are supposed to be filed on in-person complaint taken at the agency, but Mr. Sparks said “I’m not finding those notes” if any were made.

If a complaint is made with Children Services, the information would be forwarded to an investigator. If a mistreatment complaint is made, the information goes to a caseworker, Mr. Sparks said.

When asked if the July 2010 complaint was considered abuse/neglect or mistreatment, Mr. Sparks said, “that’s what I haven’t gotten to the bottom of.”

Comments indicate that the girls were with loving nonrelative foster parents and were then placed with these kinship relatives.
Children Services director says agency received call in child abuse case in 2010
[Toledo Blade 5/3/12 by Taylor Jungden]

“Courtney’s mother says she was floored when she saw the cell phone video of the incident.

Couple accused of beating child with shoe
[13 ABC 5/4/12 by Alexis Means]

“Police are unsure if the taped abuse happened at the couple’s home on Seamen Street in east Toledo or at a relative’s house on Western Avenue in the south end.

Those living next door to the Waxler’s home could not believe it.

“Kids always seemed happy. Seen them outside. No problem. No nothing,” said neighbor Bob Groll.

Groll said the Waxlers have only lived next door for about three months.

“They shouldn’t come home. That’s for sure. They should keep the kids away from them and they should be spending some time for this what they’ve done,” said Groll.

Quinn hopes he never has to see that kind of video again.

“Take a time out, you know. If you’re that upset and you’re that angry, walk away,” said Quinn.

The Waxlers are currently in the Lucas County Jail on $100,000 bond.

They are scheduled to be back in court next week. ”

Adoptive parents jailed after alleged child abuse caught on camera
[Fox 19 5/3/12 by Joe Soll]

REFORM Puzzle Piece

Update: “Policy changes are coming to Lucas County Children Services after it was discovered that a caseworker didn’t receive information about a child abuse complaint before visiting a family and then waited at least a week to investigate the claim.

“We’re putting procedures in place to make sure this doesn’t happen again,” said Children Services Executive Director Dean Sparks.

In July, 2010, the agency received a phone call reporting that two children in the care of Joshua and Courtney Waxler had welts on their bodies.

The Waxlers, both 24, of 2253 Seaman St., were charged with child endangering and were arrested May 2 on charges of assaulting their two adopted daughters, ages 3 and 5.

The assault reportedly was documented on video on a family member’s cell phone.

The couple are to appear in Toledo Municipal Court Thursday for a preliminary hearing. Each posted a surety bond of $100,000 on May 3.

Police have accused Mr. Waxler of repeatedly hitting the 3-year-old girl with a shoe and swearing at her.

Police also allege that Mrs. Waxler choked the child and threw her to the ground.

The Waxlers officially adopted the two girls in May, 2011, 10 months after the abuse complaint.

Mr. Sparks said the abuse complaint was not looked at during adoption proceedings.

“Would this have prohibited the adoption? I don’t know,” Mr. Sparks said. “If we confirmed they had been abused, it would have been a problem for the adoption.”

The Waxlers have three biological children who are now with other family members; the two adopted girls, who were in foster care after being taken from the Waxlers, are now with family members, Children Services spokesman Julie Malkin said Tuesday.

Mr. Sparks said he plans to talk to his staff today to inform them of the policy changes.

In July, 2010, the agency received a phone call complaining that a caseworker had said the two girls had welts on their bodies.

By coincidence, a caseworker was at the family’s East Toledo home that day but was not aware of the complaint until she returned from the house visit, Mr. Sparks said.

Mr. Sparks also said the caseworker told him she never said the children had welts and did not go back to the home until at least a week later to look at the children.

“That was wrong,” Mr. Sparks said. “She should have gone back out and examined the kids.”
He added that when a caseworker is at a home, the worker sees the children but does not inspect them.

One policy change will require that, upon receiving information about possible abuse, caseworkers look into the claim in 24 hours by going to the home, Mr. Sparks said.

Part of the problem, Mr. Sparks said, was that the complaint was classified as informational and not as an abuse complaint. Had it been otherwise classified, it’s likely that the caseworker would have known about the complaint before the home visit. New policy dictates that the call taker, before classifying a call, must have a supervisor review the information.

Mr. Sparks said that “it’s hard to discipline somebody” because the information is from two years ago and one of the people involved has retired and another is no longer in the same position.”

Children Services revises policies
[Toledo Blade 5/9/12 by Taylor Jungden]

Update 2/June 14,2014:

“A Toledo mother who was caught on a cell phone video abusing a 3-year-old girl she and her husband adopted was sentenced today to 30 months in prison.

Lucas County Common Pleas Judge Myron Duhart told Courtney Waxler, 25, of 739 Western Ave., that he had never seen anything “as detestable” as what he saw depicted on the video.

“What I saw was a woman who is a mother pick a child up by her neck and sling her around like a rag doll,” the judge said.

Waxler and her husband, Joshua Waxler, 25, each was convicted March 12 to endangering children for the February, 2012, incident at their former home in East Toledo. Joshua Waxler also was sentenced to 30 months in prison last week by Judge Duhart.”

Toledo mother gets 30 months in prison for abusing adopted daughter
[Our Town 4/30/13]