There is a judge in South Texas that needs a lesson on child rearing, foster parenting, and being a judge.

I know that things in Texas are different. I lived there for seven years. Respecting your elders is an absolute must and not calling an adult “sir” or “ma’am” is simply not acceptable in the eyes of parents. I don’t disagree with that at all. It is a regional thing though. When I taught my kids to use “sir” and “ma’am” I was accused of running a boot camp in my home, but I don’t think teaching children respect is abusive.

However, the judge Cameron County Justice of the Peace Gustavo Garza in this article has crossed a line that defies logic, especially when it comes to foster children.

According to the report, when a juvenile was in his court on truancy charges, he offered the step-father of a $500 fine or giving the child five whacks with one of the two paddles that he keeps in his court room.

I have a couple of issues with this. The obvious issue is that he thinks that paddling a child is an acceptable form of punishment, and for a teenager? Does he really think this is going to deter a delinquent child? Sorry. Sammy has been in court more times than I can count, has been in juvenile detention four times, three residential treatment centers, shelter care numerous times, and two treatment foster homes, and I guarantee you he would laugh at a judge that offered this choice.

The second thing is why are the parents being fined for the delinquent child’s act? If I was fined every time Sammy did something wrong, I’d be bankrupt. If the child does something wrong, the fine should be the child’s, not the parents.

Where the judge truly crossed the line was when he applied this same type of “justice” when foster parents were in his court room with their foster son. We all know that corporal punishment cannot be used on foster children at any time. When the foster parents stated that they could not use corporal punishment on a foster child, the judge told them that they had the court’s permission.

Obviously this judge is clueless as to what paddling a foster child can do as far as emotional damage. I’m sure he thinks it’s no big deal, but to a child who may have been beaten, the emotional trauma could be devastating. Then again the child could turn around and say “I’ve survived worse” and laugh it off. Either way, this is not what these children need.

One family is seeking an injunction against the judge to keep him from offering this “choice” to other parents and forcing parents to have to make this kind of decision.

I hope someone stops this judge and gives him some training in how to handle kids, and especially foster kids. Just because he has the power, doesn’t mean he should use it.

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