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I have met Mark Johnson through our congregation. I know that he and his family have made a significant commitment to their children and their community, having adopted a child suffering from both fetal alcohol and cocaine abuse in-utero. My wife once ran the Newborn Nursery at Alexian Brothers Hospital. We know that it takes a special kind of person to care for such children.

It is thus no surprise that the adopted child, Christopher, presents significant parenting challenges requiring a different style of parenting than the other two children in the family. The public schools sent him to a shrink where he was diagnosed ADHD and put on Ritalin. The boy's response prompted them to school their children at home and get him other help. I have met the therapist. NOBODY makes a significant commitment like that without the intent to do whatever is necessary to help him flourish, nor have they chosen to do so in isolation. The family has sought professional help for him and associated with a home education support group.

That group showed up for his hearing. There were thirty people there.

It was that difference in parenting that led a first time baby sitter, a minor, who had never even met the child in question (she sat the Johnson's two younger children only), to conclude on the condition of his room that such entirely-warranted differential treatment constitutes child-abuse! She lacked any contextual information from the parents or anyone else to make such a conclusion. It is my understanding that the police investigated and could find none.

Well, I'm not in the area, so I won't be of much help. However, I have seen some cases such as this where the removal of the child was warranted, I'm afraid.

For that reason, I don't rush to judgment without further information. You say you have not met the boy...just the father through your church. That's inadequate, IMO, for forming a clear assessment of the situation. Not everyone in any church, or any other group, is a reliable source, I've found.

There's simply not enough information to draw any conclusions.

The public schools sent him to a shrink where he was diagnosed ADHD and put on Ritalin.

Sorry, I call BS on this statement. By law no school employee can take a child to a doctor for testing without approval from the parents. In addition, Ritalin is a controlled substance and cannot be "called in" to a pharmacy by the doctor and then picked up by a school employee and then given to a child. Nope, no way, can't be done. There are holes so big in that claim a truck would fit through.

If the version of this dad's facts are true and verifable, then he just hit the lawsuit jackpot. There are dozens of lawyers salivating to take this case. The school violated so many sections of the IDEA that it is truly mind-boggling.

I'm not saying that the rest of this guy's story is not true, but considering that it is, he hurts his case and ultimately the child by making wild statements like "they put my child on Ritalin" without his knowing it.

I'll go even further, have someone freepmail me and I'll email sections of the IDEA law that pertain to this so he is ready to go with a laywer.