Texas judge removed from trans child custody case due to Facebook posting
Post called into question Judge Kim Cooks' impartiality in controversial custody case involving a transgender child
The judge in a highly-publicized and controversial Dallas child custody case has been removed from the case after posting about it on Facebook.
Dallas County Judge Tena Callahan granted the request of Anne Georgulas, the child’s mother, to forcibly recuse Judge Kim Cooks after it was revealed that Cooks had shared a Dallas Morning News story about the case on her official Facebook page in October — a move that could threaten her ability to remain impartial in the case.
Another user had originally posted the story with the caption, “Here’s the truth! READ IT and THEN GO RUN TELL THAT!” In sharing that post, Cooks wrote: “[Neither] The Governor nor any legislature had any influence on the Court’s Decision.”
The post no longer appears on Cooks’ Facebook page, reports The Dallas Morning News.
“Given the presiding judge’s comments about the case on her social media accounts, we believe recusal was the appropriate response and are pleased with Judge Callahan’s order, which will mean a new judge now will make any remaining decisions in the case,” Georgulas’ attorney Chad Baruch said in an email to The Dallas Morning News.
Georgulas’ attorneys filed a motion last month urging the court to allow Georgulas to have sole custody of her child and the child’s twin. Georgulas has claimed the child is transgender, and had sought to modify an existing joint custody agreement with her ex-husband if he did not allow the child to transition by dressing and being referred to as a girl.
But the child’s father, Jeffrey Younger, has disputed the notion that his child is transgender, arguing that the child accepts dressing and being referred to as a boy when they spend time together.
Younger has previously claimed that his ex-wife will try to “chemically castrate” the child if the 7-year-old is allowed to transition. But Georgulas disputes that notion, saying she only wants to allow her child to socially transition, and would not place the child on medication or hormones at such a young age.
Younger had filed for sole custody of the children, but a jury in the custody case said that the children should be placed under sole custody — but not under him. Instead, Cooks upheld the existing joint custody agreement, placing a gag order on both parents not to talk about the case and ordering the family to undergo therapy.
In her decision, Cooks noted that Georgulas had not sought sole custody of the children, and said that both parents needed to make decisions about the child’s transition. But Georgulas’ attorneys have argued that the jury’s decision not to place the children with younger is the same as granting sole custody to Georgulas.
An administrative judge will appoint a new judge to oversee the case. That judge will then rule on the motion from Georgulas’ lawyers regarding what the jury’s decision about custody entails.
The case has received much press, particularly from conservative media outlets, who have pointed to the case as an example of a politically-correct, left-wing ideology being advanced that will harm children by indoctrinating them into identifying as transgender. As a result, lawmakers in Texas, as well as other states like Georgia and Kentucky, have begun proposing bills to prohibit any minor from undergoing a gender transition, and punishing doctors or parents who assist a child in transitioning.
Read more:
Blind transgender woman in Washington State assaulted in possible hate crime
Transgender mural in Dallas defaced with mustaches
Gilead Sciences gives $4.5 million to support transgender-led health initiatives
Support Metro Weekly’s Journalism
These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet it’s crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So won’t you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each week’s magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!
You must be logged in to post a comment.