Oklahoma teenager continues to receive ‘coerced treatment’ for cancer as mom fights for custody
By Kilee Thomas
Click here for updates on this story
EL RENO, Okla. (KOCO) — An Oklahoma teenager continues to receive medical care against the will of his mother, causing an uproar among parents and lawmakers.
The Canadian County teenager was taken into state custody Friday after disputes over his cancer care. The case has led to an outpouring of support for the mother from some Oklahoma lawmakers.
“I can tell you that the son is still in the custody of DHS and is still at the hospital receiving coerced treatment that the family has already once opted out of,” state Sen. Shane Jett, a Republican representing District 17, said.
The 17-year-old is still not back home.
Monday’s court hearing was behind closed doors, not because of a specific gag order, but because state law required all juvenile cases to stay confidential.
“For telling you what just happened in there, I want to tell you really badly. If I do that, they will disbar me,” attorney Daniel McClure, who represents the family, said.
McClure is also the mayor of McLoud. He spoke to a crowd of supporters outside the courthouse.
“That is to protect the innocence of the child, the representation of the child, the privacy of the child. But what we have discovered is a lot of those privacy provisions were requested bills by DHS who brought it to the Legislature saying it was to protect the children, but what we’re actually seeing is DHS hides behind this privacy legislation to protect themselves and not the child,” Jett said.
The teenager was taken into emergency state custody after a relative reported the family for medical neglect following his mother’s decision to stop chemotherapy last year and turn to natural treatments instead.
The case has sparked statewide debate, not just among parents, but lawmakers, as well.
“We’re going to have to take a hard look on how we can fix the laws that were put into place at DHS request and make sure they’re actually doing what’s intended and what is not intended for DHS to manipulate the system,” Jett said.
The Department of Human Services said the decision to remove the child from the home was made in conjunction with law enforcement and the court system, and the department does not make those decisions unilaterally.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.