Four Liberian Sisters to be Re-Homed

Here is another disgusting case of placement into an abusive home , keeping four of the girls in the abusive home afterwards, unjust punishment and a complete mishandling of the re-homing.

http://newsok.com/families-seek-to-adopt-liberian-born-sisters/article/3536892

[The Oklahoman 1/31/11 by Ann Kelley]

The Re-homing
“Mary, Bindu, Mahawa and Fatu have been in two separate foster homes since April when a judge ruled they should be separated from their parents, Ardee and Penny Tyler, of Fairview. The Tylers were convicted in February of abusing a fifth-adopted daughter, the second-oldest of the sisters. Their natural son was convicted of molesting the fifth girl, who now lives in Illinois.

“A hearing is planned in February for child welfare services to update Associate District Judge Mike Warren on the welfare of the girls and progress made in finding them new parents. Warren, who hails from Harmon County, was assigned to the controversial child welfare case after a different judge ruled the Tylers could keep the girls and prompted the state attorney general to intervene.

Penny Tyler said their visits with the girls were severed in September and they’ve not been allowed to speak with them”

Both the girls’ attorney and pastor who has been an advocate in this case believe it is best for the girls to be with Liberian-American parents. The pastor could take two of the girls and the other two could live nearby with another family.

But, “The girl at the center of the abuse case has been living in Illinois with a cousin of Penny Tyler.

Barbara Johnson said she and her husband are in the process of adopting the girl, now 15, and already are licensed foster parents. She said she wants the sisters to stay together and would be willing to adopt all of them. “

The Abuse Specifics
This 2008 article explains that all five girls were adopted at the same time in 2005.

[Enid News.com 11/12/08 by Cass Rains]
http://enidnews.com/localnews/x518701141/4-members-of-Fairview-family-are-charged-with-abuse-of-adopted-girl

“The girl told Thomas-Johnson she had been tied with a rope and restrained in the basement of the Tylers’ home in the past year on two consecutive nights, according to the affidavit. The girl said she had been tied with a rope to a chair during the daylight hours those same days.

The girl also told Thomas-Johnson she had been forced to sleep outside one night and in early 2007 had been sexually assaulted by Ashton Tyler in his bed in the basement. “

A neighbor was present “May 4, 2007, when Ardee Tyler admitted to forcing the girl to stay outside as punishment for stealing a cookie.”

“Ardee Tyler said on one occasion in fall of 2007, the girl lied to him and his wife and then urinated on the floor. Ardee Tyler said he told the girl, “If you are going to act like a dog, I will treat you like a dog and let you stay outside,” according to the affidavit. He then forced the girl onto the back porch where she remained from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.

On another occasion, Ardee said he restrained the girl by tying her hands with cloth to a vertical post next to the stairwell inside his home, according to the affidavit. He also admitted to tying the girl to the bed from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. on another occasion.”

The following article explains how the fifth girl came to be in Illinois “[the]girl allegedly abused was removed from the home, taken by DHS to live with a cousin of the family.”

Additionally, it says that “[t]heir biological daughter Nathania is accused of physically restraining her”

http://www.news9.com/Global/story.asp?S=9347403&clienttype=printable
[News9.com 12/13/2008 Amy Lester]

More information can be found here about this case http://poundpuplegacy.org/node/38194

Unjust Sentencing

It is mind-boggling that a family that only makes $20,000 per year would be approved to adopt 5 internationally adopted children at once. Keeping these children in the home after convictions of abuse and pleas from the community to re-home is outrageous.

“Judge Ray Dean Linder gave both parents 10-year suspended prison sentences, but is requiring Penny Tyler to spend 60 days in the county jail beginning Monday.

The sentencing for their son, Ashton Tyler, 20, charged with felony rape by instrumentation, was rescheduled for March. He has pleaded no contest, and like his parents is allowing a judge to determine his punishment rather than a jury.

Their daughter, Nathania Tyler, 21, pleaded no contest to misdemeanor assault and battery. She was sentenced Monday to 90 days in jail, all suspended.

Linder said he was reluctant to give Ardee Tyler time behind bars partly because the family household relies on the $20,000 annual income he brings in as a carpenter. Taking him out of the home would cause an undue hardship on the family, especially the children, he said. For that same reason he imposed no fine on either parent.”

http://newsok.com/suspended-sentences-given-in-oklahoma-abuse-case/article/3436353

[The Oklahoman 2/10/10 by Ann Kelley]

REFORM Puzzle Piece

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