Ronan parent fights abuse charge
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RONAN — Kandi Davis believes the Lake County office of Department of Public Health and Human Services, which heads Child Protective Services, questioned her rights as a parent when they charged her with psychologically abusing her son. The charges stem from an incident that occurred at the end of this last school year in which she spanked her 11-year-old son Cody in front of his class at K.W. Harvey Elementary School with a wooden spoon. Davis maintains she did nothing wrong and said she intends to fight the charge. Davis’ attorney recently sent a letter to DPHHS Child and Family Services Division Administrator Shirley Brown, requesting a fair and impartial hearing or dismissal.
“As a parent, it is my right to discipline my child as I deem necessary in order to provide him with the essential structure of respect to elders, teachers and authority figures,” Davis wrote in her letter.
It is further written that her son attended three subsequent sessions, at the request of DPHHS, with a psychologist and was deemed a “well-rounded” young man. Davis also included an email she received from teacher Jamie Preuit after the spanking stating that Cody’s behavior had improved.
The Montana Public Officer Standards and Training Council is not investigating Ronan Officer Trevor Wadsworth, who accompanied Davis to the school that day. According to Executive Director Wayne Ternes, there was never any formal complaint filed to POST, it was just an incident that was brought to their attention.
Wadsworth backs Kandi 100 percent in her actions that day.
“I have known Kandi all my life,” Wadsworth said. “I am like an older brother to her son Cody. He is a very smart kid. He knew why he got into trouble and he took it really well.”
Davis is currently a licensed and registered daycare provider who works at a Ronan daycare licensed to her cousin Cheryl Woirhaye. Davis has a petition making its rounds at different Ronan businesses to “take back the rights of parents.” She said she has collected more than 500 signatures.
While Davis stands behind her decision to spank her son at school, the incident has sparked public debate and many in the community have mixed feelings about this issue. Though some believe spanking is unacceptable others feel it is an effective form of discipline and parenting.
Ronan resident James Roessler believes Davis did the right thing by disciplining her son.
“This is why I support what Kandi did. To show her son that she will not tolerate his misbehavior or mistreatment of teachers or students,” Roessler said. “If parents can’t discipline their kids for bad behavior, who can, in today’s society?”
“I believe that by Kandi following through with the consequences of spanking Cody at school, she showed her son that she loves him enough to do what she said she would,” Lou Anne Hoskinson of Ronan said. “I believe he will think about the consequences of his actions the next time he is placed in a situation like this. (And) perhaps when he is grown and out of the house, when the consequences are real, not just a spanking.”
St. Ignatius resident and parent Rebecca Gun Hammer disagrees. Gun Hammer said she grew up in abusive foster homes where a fine line between discipline and abuse was crossed.
“I don’t believe in spanking at all,” she said. “There are a lot of different ways to discipline kids besides spanking.”
Julia Roberts, a parent and director of Family Matters in Polson, believes the issue is difficult because there is no easy answer.
“Parents have their own ways of disciplining their children,” she said. Roberts heads Family Matters, an organization offering programs that focus on early childhood development and strengthening family and parenting skills.
She doesn’t believe spanking is the best way to discipline children.
“It’s really hard,” she admitted. “I’m not going to tell you how to discipline your child. I would be a hypocrite if I said I never lost my composure and spanked my children,” Roberts, the mother of two teenagers, said. “But when you do, it's really important you regain your composure and sit down and explain why you did it (spanked).”
Executive Director Jenifer Blumberg of DOVES (Domestic Violence Education and Services) in Polson said she is more concerned with what she called the “shaming” aspect rather than the spanking.
“Shaming is very harmful and sometimes more harmful than the actual spanking,” Blumberg said. “It is not a good way to deal with things.”
According to Montana Child Protective Services, under Montana law, if any school staff member has reasonable cause to suspect that a child is being abused or neglected, it remains that individual’s obligation to see that the situation is reported to the Child Abuse Hotline at 1-866-820-5437. Simply reporting the concerns to the school principal is not considered adequate and school personnel must report directly to the Child and Family Service Division Hotline. After an incident is reported to the Child and Family Services Division child abuse hotline, actions are taken to determine if the report warrants an investigation.
Davis is fighting the charge of psychological abuse, which is the second most common type of child maltreatment in Montana. Psychological abuse is described by DPHHS as “the repeated action on the part of the parents or others that belittles the child, makes the child fearful and stops the healthy development and or socio-emotional growth of a child.”
In most cases, children remain with the parent or parents during and after an assessment and investigation. Children are only removed by when they are in a dangerous situation. Some services that are often recommended or required are parent assistance and training programs, drug and alcohol evaluations and treatment, family and individual counseling, day care programs, in-home services or anger management classes.
The psychological abuse charge could affect Davis’ daycare and coaching license and her ability to have foster children in her home.
Davis currently waits to hear back from the DPHHS about the status of her case.
