A legal document used to remove a less-than 2-week-old Dallas baby from her parents late last month had the wrong family's name on it, according to a KERA News review.
The parents of Mila Jackson says the Texas Department of Family Protective Services took their daughter after a routine postpartum hospital visit.
The removal petition, obtained by KERA News Friday, shows the names of two parents listed. But neither of those names are Rodney or Temecia Jackson, the child's birth parents. Instead, the department appears to have incorrectly inserted the names of two other parents.
“The paperwork had another mother's name on it,” Temecia Jackson said at a press conference this week. “So instantly I felt like they had stolen my baby.”
On top of that mix-up, information about the woman incorrectly listed as Mila's mother was used as part of an affidavit in support of the child's removal.
In 2020, the woman had a 3-month-old child briefly removed from her home after a domestic violence incident. She also had a criminal history, with a 2016 arrest for criminal trespass.
Rodney Jackson, Mila's actual father, is listed in the document as the "alleged father." The document alleges no criminal or DFPS history.
Mila's mother, Temecia Jackson, is not named at all in the affidavit.
“I feel as if my child was removed so quickly because they have this other mother's name listed on this affidavit,“ Temecia Jackson said.
Demanding Mila's return
The couple told reporters at a press conference Thursday that they delivered their baby girl at home with the help of a midwife. Three days later they took her to a pediatrician for her first newborn checkup.
“We were told everything is good, she looks great,” Temecia Jackson said. “The only thing is she had [physiological] jaundice. Jaundice is a very common thing. Many of our family, friends and families’ children have had jaundice. So we left that visit thinking everything was fine.”
That story is corroborated in the affidavit, which goes on to say the family preferred to treat the child at home.
Jaundice causes excess bilirubin to build up in the body, according to the Mayo Clinic. It's released from the body's process of breaking down of old red blood cells. If severe cases are left untreated, there's a risk of brain damage.
The family's pediatrician, Dr. Anand Bhatt with Baylor Scott and White Health, later called and said Mila should be taken back to the hospital for treatment. The Jacksons told Bhatt that, after speaking with their midwife, they were opting to have Mila treated at home using phototherapy treatment and supplementing Temecia Jackson's breast milk with formula.
That’s when Bhatt threatened to notify child protective services if they did not admit Mila to the hospital, according to the family and the affidavit.
In a letter to CPS attached to the affidavit, Bhatt wrote, "I filed a case report with CPS after trying 10 attempts to appeal to the family through phone calls, text messages and leaving voicemails as they did not pick up the phone."
The letter goes on to say: "Parents are very loving and they care dearly about their baby. Their distrust for medical care and guidance has led them to make a decision for the baby to refuse a simple treatment that can prevent brain damage."
A spokesperson with Baylor Scott and White said the hospital could not comment on the incident out of respect for patient privacy, but did say the hospital abides by state requirements to report possible neglect to CPS.
Days after Mila Jackson’s birth, her mother took Mila and her two brothers on what should have been a routine visit to the pediatrician. Instead, baby Mila was ripped away from her parents' loving care by Dallas CPS, and her father was arrested. 🧵 pic.twitter.com/7M4J2niJXH
— The Afiya Center (@TheAfiyaCenter) April 5, 2023
According to the Jacksons, DeSoto police showed up at their door in the early morning the next day.
“We let them know they have no jurisdiction and they needed to leave, which they did,” Temecia Jackson said. “An hour later they came back with more officers, more CPS workers, a fire truck and an ambulance demanding that we hand over Mila, saying that she is now in the care of CPS.”
The family once again told the CPS workers and police officers to leave and for a few days thought the issue was behind them. But on Tuesday, March 28, they said police and CPS workers returned.
Jackson said her husband was arrested without cause and Dallas County Constables used his key to enter their home. That’s when CPS workers took Mila from her mother and handed Jackson the affidavit with the incorrect parents listed.
Tiffani Butler, a Dallas-area spokesperson for DFPS, said in an email the mistake was due to the department “being given incorrect information” and “it has been corrected.” Butler said the agency could not release any other information because its cases are confidential.
Still searching for answers
Since Mila was removed from their care, the Jackson family says they’ve contacted DFPS to get answers, and to get Mila returned to them.
But they still don’t know where the two-week-old baby is or who is caring for her.
The Jacksons were supposed to have a court hearing at 8:30 a.m. Thursday but it was rescheduled for April 20.
At Thursday's press conference organized by the Afiya Center and Next Gen Action Network, advocates including Quiana Arnold — doula with the birth justice team and the Afiya Center — said she wanted answers as to whether the affidavit was falsified to justify Mila's removal.
“That's the reason why this family says that their daughter is kidnaped,” she said. “Even when this baby is returned back, we want a full investigation of this situation and who did it.”
Got a tip? Email Rebekah Morr at rmorr@kera.org. You can follow her on Twitter @bekah_morr.
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