NATIONAL NEWS
June 7, 2000
Family Feud
Supreme Court Rules Against Grandparents' Right to Visit Grandchildren
You're not the only person who has to ask your parents for permission to do things. Now, according to the Supreme Court, your grandparents do, too! By a 6-3 vote, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a Washington state law that allowed grandparents and other grownups to go to court and demand the right to visit a child, even if the child's parents were against it. Although all 50 states have some form of law that allows visits from grandparents, the Supreme Court said the Washington law went too far because it allowed any person with a judge's approval to see a child at any time.
This case cast a national spotlight on the role of grandparents in kids' lives. The issue was first raised when grandparents Gary and Jenifer Troxel of Mount Vernon, Washington, sought the right to visit their granddaughters, Isabelle, 8, and Natalie, 10, after the death of their son, who was the girls' father. The Troxels argued with the mother of their grandkids, Tommie Wynn, over how much time they could spend with the girls, and wanted to use the Washington law to see the kids even without her permission.
''I still have hope," Mrs. Troxel said after the Supreme Court decision. "If one afternoon (visit per month) is what we get, we will be happy with that. We just want to be able to see our grandchildren.'' Troxel said she and her husband haven't seen their granddaughters in a year. Wynn said she had allowed the grandparents to visit the girls, though not as often as the couple wanted. ''It's a victory (for) every parent in the country,'' Wynn told reporters. ''It's not normal for grandparents to attack the parents in this way.''
Justice Sandra Day O'Connor sided with the mother, saying that parents have the right to make decisions about their kids without government involvement. She stressed that this right overrules state laws that give grandparents freedom to see their grandkids.
The ruling had been eagerly awaited by those concerned with how it might affect the rights of parents, families and the estimated 60 million grandparents nationwide. While the decision currently applies to the state of Washington, the message from our nation's highest court is clear. The best tip for grandparents looking to shower time and attention on the kids is one already well-known by kids worldwide: Make sure to ask Mom or Dad first!
