Woman wants kids back after social worker marries ex-husband

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Woman wants kids back after social worker marries ex-husband

CLEVELAND (AP) - A woman says she was persuaded to give up custody of her four children by a social worker who secretly dated and later married her ex-husband.

Rochelle Kidd and her lawyer are asking a judge to review how social worker Na'Sheema Hillmon handled the case.

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Kidd, 31, was so convinced by conversations with the social worker that her ex-husband was going to gain custody of the kids that she agreed to it, said attorney Josh Barnhizer. His client wants a chance to get her children back and deserves to know if Hillmon influenced county officials in the custody fight, he said.

Hillmon resigned from the Cuyahoga County Department of Children and Family Services after the department found out about the marriage. County officials reviewed the file at the time and still believe the children belong with their father and not with Kidd, who acknowledged whipping them with an electrical cord before taking parenting and anger management courses.

"What this worker did is horrendous, in my opinion," said Jim McCafferty, director of the Family Services department, which handled the case. "I'm not trying to defend that. I'm sick over this. All I can say is that as soon as it came to our attention, we took aggressive action on this."

The children's ages range from 6 to 12 years old. McCafferty said the county has not received any allegations of maltreatment by the father, Victor Anderson.

Hillmon, 30, said it was a mistake and unprofessional to get romantically involved with Anderson but believes the children are better off because of it.

"I just going to be honest with you and tell you that I fell in love with these kids before I ever knew Victor's name. ...I found happiness, and I'm sorry it was at somebody else's expense," Hillmon said. "But her children are very well taken care of. I do their hair, I do their laundry, and love them to death. I do."

The county took the children from Kidd's home about three months after Kidd and Anderson married in January 2004. The parents lived apart, and Anderson was given custody by October 2004. The children sometimes stayed with their mother as well.

The children were removed from Kidd again in May 2005 after the youngest boy, then 4, was seen hanging over a porch railing unsupervised. Anderson was given legal custody in June 2005, just days after divorcing Kidd.

Hillmon and Anderson married seven weeks later. Hillmon said their relationship did not start until weeks before they married.

Hillmon continued on the case and filed an affidavit with the court in August 2005 saying she had visited the family at Anderson's residence and found "the home and living situation appropriate." She did not mention she had married Anderson.

Kidd's lawyer said his client deserves an unbiased chance to reunite with her children.

"My kids shouldn't have to go through this," Kidd said. "The games that was played, it just ain't right. Once they saw what Ms. Hillmon did, they should've got back in touch with me and helped me get my kids back."

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Information from: The Plain Dealer, http://www.cleveland.com

[Jim Alfredson]

Your kids shouldn't have to go through getting whipped with an electrical cord either, lady. Tough luck.