A Texas couple’s lawsuit against state child protective services exposes alarming gaps in due process and racial disparities after their newborn was taken without a hearing.
At a Glance
- Texas CPS took the Jacksons’ newborn without formal charges
- DFPS listed them on a neglect registry without due process
- Case was closed, but registry status remains
- Lawsuit alleges racial bias against Black families
- Parents seek policy reform and name removal
CPS Removes Infant Without Hearing
Rodney and Temecia Jackson welcomed their daughter, Mila, in a planned home birth supported by a licensed midwife. When a pediatrician raised concerns about jaundice and the Jacksons chose at-home treatment, the doctor reported them to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS). As reported by Reason, DFPS seized the newborn under an emergency removal order—one the family says was invalid.
Even after the investigation was closed with no charges, DFPS still listed the Jacksons on the state’s child abuse and neglect registry with a “reason to believe” designation. No hearing was offered, no appeal allowed.
Watch Fox 4 News’ report on the incident at North Texas parents suing DFPS after their child was taken.
ACLU Lawsuit Highlights Civil Rights Concerns
In April 2025, the Jacksons partnered with the ACLU of Texas to sue DFPS for violating their due process rights. Their case demands removal from the registry and changes to Texas law requiring hearings before parents are labeled child neglectors.
The Jacksons say the designation threatens their ability to volunteer at their children’s school and care for foster youth, among other consequences. “We will never get that stolen time back,” they stated. “No parent should ever have to experience the trauma of being torn from their baby—simply for choosing midwifery.”
Racial Bias Accusations Surface
The lawsuit also points to systemic racial disparities. According to The 19th News, Black families in Texas are overrepresented in child welfare reports and removals. Attorney Charelle Lett emphasized this disparity, stating that “Black and Brown families are disproportionately reported to CPS—even when they’ve done nothing wrong—due to racial stereotypes.”
The Jacksons’ legal team argues that DFPS’s unchecked registry system disproportionately targets Black parents with little opportunity for recourse, compounding trauma through bureaucratic labeling and stigma.
System Under Pressure to Reform
As CBS Texas reports, the Jacksons’ case has drawn national attention and reignited calls for transparency and oversight within DFPS. Critics say the agency’s power to assign guilt without trial violates basic civil liberties and disproportionately harms families already marginalized by the system.
With support from civil rights groups, the Jacksons aim to force legislative reform that would require due process protections before families are placed on the registry—provisions currently absent under Texas law.
