Metropolis staff snatched a breastfeeding 11-month-old out of the arms of her “wonderful” mom with no courtroom order — regardless of the company’s personal employees discovering “no security issues” within the residence, a lawsuit claims.
Meredith Trainor filed the bombshell Queens federal courtroom lawsuit on Tuesday, claiming the Administration for Kids’s Companies “forcibly seized” her child in early 2024 and held her for 5 days with out stating a motive or acquiring a courtroom order.
“Having my child taken from my arms with out warning was probably the most terrifying second of my life,” stated Trainor, a 33-year-old psychiatric social employee who was pregnant along with her second little one on the time.
ACS stated they’re reviewing the lawsuit.
The ordeal started on New 12 months’s Eve 2023 when the child woman skilled shortness of breath whereas on the park along with her dad, Trainor’s then-fiancé, the submitting says.
After speeding her to the hospital, docs stated the little woman examined constructive for cocaine ingestion, in keeping with the go well with, and notified little one protecting companies.
Whereas ACS and the NYPD cuffed the dad — who had an alleged previous of drug abuse — and barred him from their Queens residence, Trainor was seemingly initially cleared by investigators, her go well with contends.
Two residence inspections by ACS discovered the home to be “clear, organized,” noting that there have been “no security issues concerning the residence,” together with no indicators of medicine, the submitting claims. Caseworkers famous the 2 as having a “good mom and little one bond.”
That’s what makes what occurred the subsequent day so surprising, the go well with contends.
ACS staff confirmed up on the night of Jan. 4 and ripped the screaming toddler from her arms “with out [Trainor’s] consent or a courtroom order authorizing a seizure,” the go well with claims.
Staff refused to inform Trainor why or the place they have been taking her little woman — and even threatened her “with the longer term removing of her unborn son if she didn’t adjust to ACS’s directives,” the go well with claims.
Trainor, who was “crying and begging,” pleaded for a final breastfeed earlier than being separated and requested that they at the very least take breastmilk to feed her earlier than taking her away, however was allegedly declined, her go well with stated.
Her child screamed “mama” as she was taken — and might be nonetheless heard wailing a block away, the go well with claims.
In a neglect petition filed the subsequent day in Queens Household Courtroom, ACS’ sole allegation cited was the daddy’s constructive drug take a look at, the go well with claims.
For 5 days, Trainor’s child remained in ACS care till a choose dominated the removing was “not essential to keep away from imminent threat to the kid’s life or security,” and reunited the 2, in keeping with the go well with.
The neglect petition was dismissed months later, and a yr after the incident, Trainor gained full custody of her now two kids, the go well with says.
“Separating a household is among the most excessive powers the federal government has. It ought to solely occur when a baby is actually at risk — and that was plainly not the case right here,” stated Trainor’s legal professional Max Selver.
Selver notes that out of the 1,400 emergency ACS removals annually, roughly 375 are decided “not justified” by household courts.
“Emergency removals are solely thought of in circumstances the place all different choices are dominated out, and groups of extremely educated little one protecting employees decide {that a} little one is in imminent hazard and that there’s not sufficient time to get a courtroom order,” stated ACS spokesperson Marisa Kaufman.
Trainor says she nonetheless suffers from ongoing psychological trauma, together with extreme nervousness.
“Listening to my child cry for me as they drove away is one thing I’ll always remember.”
