A NEW DAWN IN TRANSGENDER CIVIL RIGHTS LITIGATION
David Haislip • July 8, 2020
By: Rook Elizabeth Ringer, Esquire
Lento Law Group, P.C.
Florida Managing Attorney
At 8:30 AM, on the morning of June 15, 2020, I was in a hearing to determine whether a Transgender woman, denied time-sharing/visitation of her children for the last 1.5 years....solely because she is Transgender...would be able to finally see her children. The woman in question is a former US Army combat infantry veteran who was one of the first “boots-on-the-ground” in Afghanistan, mere weeks after 9/11. There were no allegations of child abuse, drug use, criminal activity, or anything else like that. She is a working professional who always tries to do the right thing. But she is also Transgender, and that was “enough” for the Court to have taken away her right to even be in the same room with her own children.
I fought hard. I pointed out the other side’s Transphobia and deliberate misgendering. I quoted the law and the case-law. But just like all the other times before, the judge ruled against us, and the hearing ended around 10:00 AM.
I was angry, hurt, and disappointed that...even with a wealth of case-law (and common decency) on my side, none of it mattered. All that mattered was that my client was Transgender. When I got out of the hearing, I saw the news of the Supreme Court’s decision in Bostock v. Clay County, upholding LGBTQ rights under the definition of “sex discrimination”, but it was bittersweet to me, since the morning's hearing had gone so badly.
However, at 12:01 PM that day, the judge's assistant contacted me and stated the following:
Judge [REDACTED] has just advised that upon further consideration after the hearing this morning that he has changed his decision in regards to the unsupervised timesharing. He is going to grant the Motion for Unsupervised Timesharing. He has indicated that Ms. Ringer will not need to prepare a proposed order as he will enter his own order. He has also advised that because of his change in ruling, the hearing we were going to schedule is no longer needed.
I can only assume that the judge had also seen the news, but had more importantly....read the writing on the wall. I can only assume the he saw that now, even the Supreme Court would not stand against us. Even the two conservative justices, Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Neil Gorsuch, who penned the decision, would not stand against us. We won that day. My client won that day. All LGBTQ people won that day. America and Liberty and Freedom won that day.
I will leave you with these words of wisdom from...“Captain America”:
Doesn't matter what the press says. Doesn't matter what the politicians or the mobs say. Doesn't matter if the whole country decides that something wrong is something right. This nation was founded on one principle above all else: The requirement that we stand up for what we believe, no matter the odds or the consequences. When the mob and the press and the whole world tell you to move, your job is to plant yourself like a tree beside the river of truth, and tell the whole world – “No, YOU move.” (*)
We can do this. I believe in you. Here’s to the future. Let us take it while we can.
Rook Elizabeth Ringer, Esq.
Managing Attorney
(* “Captain America” speaking to “Spider-Man”, quoted from Amazing Spider-Man #537, J. Michael Straczynski, Ron Garney and Scott Hanna, January 3, 2007, Marvel Comics)
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Surely no one would doubt that children are curious creatures, and as such, they often end up in places they don’t belong if they are not well looked after. The curiosity of a child’s mind knows no bounds, and while, as parents, we have come to expect simple “boo-boos” like a scrapped knee for example, sometimes curiosity can lead children into far more precarious situations. Obviously then, there are many situations where, from the worldview of an adult, while we see dangers that should best be avoided, a child may only see adventure – a new mystery waiting to be explored. While, of course, it is important that parents foster their children’s inquisitive minds, a parent’s first priority should surely always be to protect their children from serious bodily injury, or worse. Now that Summer is just around the corner, protecting our children is particularly important as swimming pools will start to be opened up and trampolines will be going back out in the yard. Fortunately, the law recognizes the tendency of children to view all the world as a playground, and imposes a special duty on owners of such things as swimming pools and trampolines to protect children from the hazard these things can represent. Like many states, New Jersey has adopted this principle of tort law, called the attractive nuisance doctrine. Put simply, an attractive nuisance is any man-made construct present upon land, which may lure children, and which can cause them bodily injury should they play on, in, or around it. The defining characteristic of an attractive nuisance is just that – that it is attractive to children and that the potential fun the attractive nuisance poses, entices a child like a moth to the flame. Swimming pools, playground equipment, and other artificial landscaping features can make your yard a magnet for every kid in the neighborhood, but the very things that might make your yard so enticing to a child may also be the very things that make it so potentially dangerous for them. As a result of this potential for harm, the law places a heightened duty on property owners who have items that will both attract children and present a unique potential for harm. The theory is that children are too young to appreciate the risk of harm these attractive nuisances pose, and therefore, because these items essentially induce a child into a hazardous area of your property, the property owner is expected to take special precautions to mitigate the risk of harm, for example, by putting a fence around a pool. Elements of Attractive Nuisance If the property owner knows, or reasonably should know, that children are likely to trespass upon his or her property; In response to an artificial condition present upon the land; Which the property owner knows, or reasonably should know poses an unreasonable risk of death or serious bodily injury; Such that a child, because of their youth, does not discover the condition or realize the risk involved; and Said property owner fails to take reasonable precautions to safeguard against the risk of injury. Common Attract Nuisances Water Features Studies suggest that an adult can drown from as little as six tablespoons of water. This number is even smaller for a child. Water features on property – including fountains, pools, and wells – can pose an enormous risk of drowning to children who may want to splash around inside, particularly if they cannot gauge how deep the water is, and especially if they have not yet learned to swim. A swimming pool is the most common example of an attractive nuisance, and as the summer weather soon comes upon us, pool owners – especially owners of inground pools – should be particularly mindful of the hazard posed by the attractive nuisance. As a pool owner, you could be liable for accidents even if children sneak into your pool without your consent. Whether the pool is in-ground, above ground, or even a kiddie pool, you can reduce your risk by surrounding your pool area with a fence, installing a locking gate (preferably one with an audible alarm), and covering the pool with a safety cover when not in use. New Jersey has passed legislation specifically outlined the heightened obligation of pool owners. Under New Jersey’s swimming pool safety act, called “William’s Law,” any pool must be fenced or walled in with a structure of at least 5 feet high and without any openings wide enough for a 4-inch object to pass through it. If a pool owner fails to properly enclose the water feature and a child is injured as a result, the child’s family may be able to sue under the attractive nuisance doctrine, as well as raise a negligence per se claim in connection with the pool owner’s violation of William’s Law. Trampolines & Playground Equipment Most home playground injuries involve swing sets, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). To reduce the chance of accidents, therefore, the National Association of Home Inspectors recommends spacing swings at least 24 inches apart and at least 30 inches from the support frame. Swing sets – especially wooden ones – should be checked regularly for wear & tear, warping, or rot. Because most injuries from swings also involve falls, installing a shock-absorbing surface for your playground like sand, wood chips, or gravel, for example, can help mitigate the likelihood of injury. Trampolines can also pose a significant safety hazard to young children who may not know how to utilize one safely. If you are planning on purchasing a trampoline, look for a model that has a zippered entrance which can be locked. Additionally, consider installing a locked and alarmed fence around your yard or around the playground to make the feature inaccessible to uninvited users. Home Construction Projects Construction projects and the tools and equipment which may be present on a construction site can be kid magnets. Young children often get toy tool sets to play with, so seeing a real hammer or saw can be enticing. Rebuilding a deck, repaving a driveway, pouring concrete, building additions, and even repairing a roof can all present potentially dangerous conditions which a child may be drawn to. To some children, a ladder must be climbed or a hole must be jumped in. The law doesn’t expect homeowners to complete their construction projects overnight, but when stepping away, it is critical to turn off and put away power tools, remove heavy equipment if possible, and consider putting up hazard signs, safety cones, or even a barrier of caution tape to make the potential danger clearly evident. Our Tip: Be Alert to Hazards At the end of the day, even with due care it is impossible to prevent all eventualities, especially when children are involved, and unfortunately accidents do happen. At the same time, it is also important to be vigilant and to stay aware of hazardous or potentially hazardous conditions on our property which children may be drawn to. This is especially true if you live in a neighborhood with families who have children or near an area where children may be present, such as near a park or a school. Call The Lento Law Group If your child was the victim of an attractive nuisance or was otherwise injured on another person’s property, call the Lento Law Group today for a free phone consultation. Our caring, compassionate, and knowable staff will be happy to go over the facts of your potential case so that our experienced personal injury attorneys can see if you have a viable cause of action. There is absolutely no cost to you unless we secure a financial recovery on your behalf. Call today!
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