Many in Miami likely dread the prospect of not being able to make decisions for themselves. If and when they find themselves (or someone that they love) in such a circumstance, they may hope that another family member or friend will be given the right to make important decisions for them. Such choices can involve financial, medical, personal and even spiritual matters. Knowing this, it may be easy to see why one would only want someone that he or she trusts placed in the role of his or her decision maker. However, in some cases, the court may find it best to appoint guardian outside of one’s circle of family and friends.
Oftentimes, the views and opinions of a court-appointed guardian may clash with those of his or her ward (or the ward’s family). Such appears to be the case in a lawsuit recently filed by a family in Ohio. They claim that the court-appointed guardian of their 11-year-old son repeatedly tried to force her religious beliefs on them. She eventually lined the boy up with a mentor from her church congregation. According to the lawsuit, despite the mentor agreeing not to proselytize to the boy, he did so anyway away from the parents. The parents’ frustrations boiled over after the boy was forced to be baptized during a religious activity. He claims that his mentor threatened not to continue to take him to activities if he did not comply.
Those who believe that their rights (or those of their loved ones) are being disregarded by a guardian may feel justified in taking action. Such action may be more likely to produce positive results of one has the help of an experienced attorney in his or her corner.
Source: Cleveland.com “Eleven-year-old disabled boy was forcibly baptized at an evangelical church in Chardon, lawsuit says” McCarty, James F., Mar. 28, 2017
