Andrea Capua <[email protected]>Tue, Oct 15, 2024 at 11:18 AM
To: "[email protected]" <[email protected]>
Ken,
I hope this email finds you well. I am reaching out to respond on behalf of Watauga County and the Watauga County Department of Social Services (the “Department”). It is my understanding that you have requested an opportunity to meet with the County Manager, Deron Geouque, and/or the Director of the Department, Tom Hughes, to discuss the Department’s intake policy for the report of child abuse. As you may be aware, the Department already has an intake policy that, by law, must comply with local state and federal standards. Once abuse is reported, the Department is responsible for following local, state and federal procedures for investigating all claims. Reporting policies and procedures are in addition to (and not in lieu of) all rights that are available to citizens through the criminal court system.
As an alternative to scheduling a meeting, you are welcome to write up a letter with your concerns and suggestions for change. You can send it to me and I will pass it along to Mr. Hughes and Mr. Geouque and anyone else you request receive a copy.
Andrea Capua
Andrea N. Capua
Attorney/Partner
To: "[email protected]" <[email protected]>
Ken,
I hope this email finds you well. I am reaching out to respond on behalf of Watauga County and the Watauga County Department of Social Services (the “Department”). It is my understanding that you have requested an opportunity to meet with the County Manager, Deron Geouque, and/or the Director of the Department, Tom Hughes, to discuss the Department’s intake policy for the report of child abuse. As you may be aware, the Department already has an intake policy that, by law, must comply with local state and federal standards. Once abuse is reported, the Department is responsible for following local, state and federal procedures for investigating all claims. Reporting policies and procedures are in addition to (and not in lieu of) all rights that are available to citizens through the criminal court system.
As an alternative to scheduling a meeting, you are welcome to write up a letter with your concerns and suggestions for change. You can send it to me and I will pass it along to Mr. Hughes and Mr. Geouque and anyone else you request receive a copy.
Andrea Capua
Andrea N. Capua
Attorney/Partner
Gottfried Marketing MemberPrinting.com Buddhastein <[email protected]>Tue, Oct 15, 2024 at 10:11 PM
To: Andrea Capua <[email protected]>
Dear Mrs Capua,
Thank you for your response.
We can start from here.
Please send me the DHHS's & Sheriff's Department’s intake policy for the reporting of child abuse.
Kenneth R. Gottfried
To: Andrea Capua <[email protected]>
Dear Mrs Capua,
Thank you for your response.
We can start from here.
Please send me the DHHS's & Sheriff's Department’s intake policy for the reporting of child abuse.
Kenneth R. Gottfried
Gottfried Marketing MemberPrinting.com Buddhastein <[email protected]>Sat, Oct 19, 2024 at 4:57 PM
To: Andrea Capua <[email protected]>
Bcc: [email protected]
Ms. Capua,
While I appreciate you being the intermediary, It should not take 4+ days to figure out the procedure for the intake to report child abuse.
Have a Beautiful day.
Kenneth R. Gottfried
To: Andrea Capua <[email protected]>
Bcc: [email protected]
Ms. Capua,
While I appreciate you being the intermediary, It should not take 4+ days to figure out the procedure for the intake to report child abuse.
Have a Beautiful day.
Kenneth R. Gottfried
Andrea Capua <[email protected]>Sat, Oct 19, 2024 at 6:58 PM
To: "Gottfried Marketing MemberPrinting.com Buddhastein" <[email protected]>
I am treating it as a public records request. And we have a reasonable amount of time to respond, which I will do.
Andrea N. Capua
Attorney/Partner
To: "Gottfried Marketing MemberPrinting.com Buddhastein" <[email protected]>
I am treating it as a public records request. And we have a reasonable amount of time to respond, which I will do.
Andrea N. Capua
Attorney/Partner
Dear Mrs. Capua,
I am writing to bring an important issue to your attention regarding the intake process for reporting child abuse, and to emphasize the broader definition of child abuse that encompasses not just actions by caregivers, but also judicial and systemic failures that enable continued abuse.
Definition of Child AbuseAs defined by law, child abuse includes not only physical harm but also emotional and psychological harm. Psychological child abuse is recognized under DSM-5 V995.51 as "Child Psychological Abuse," which refers to actions that cause emotional or mental harm to a child. This abuse often manifests through emotional manipulation, alienation from one parent, or severe psychological maltreatment that can leave lasting scars.
According to G.S. 7B-101, child abuse is any situation where a child is subjected to harm by a parent or caretaker. However, this definition must also account for the critical role that individuals in positions of authority, such as judges, attorneys, and government officials, play in perpetuating child abuse when they fail to uphold laws and make decisions that ignore or dismiss clear evidence of abuse.
Judicial decisions that unjustly deny custody, prolong cases, or fail to act on reports of psychological abuse contribute directly to the emotional and psychological harm of a child. This, too, must be recognized as a form of abuse, as the courts and legal system have a legal and ethical duty to protect children.
Concerns Regarding Intake of ReportsThrough my work and personal experiences, I have encountered numerous cases where reports of psychological child abuse have been ignored, not only by child protective services (Tom Hughes at the DHHS)and law enforcement Sheriff Len Hagaman and the sheriff's office) but also by judges who refuse to consider the long-term harm being done to the child. These cases involve clear signs of emotional manipulation and alienation, yet the very systems tasked with protecting the child—judicial, law enforcement, and child protective agencies—often fail to act, leaving the child vulnerable.
This failure to assess or address psychological abuse, whether by direct caregivers or systemic actors such as judges, constitutes a breach of the mandatory reporting laws and neglects the fundamental responsibility to act in the child’s best interest. When judges dismiss concerns of emotional abuse, they contribute to the ongoing trauma the child endures.
Request for ClarificationWith this in mind, I am formally requesting clarification on the following points:
Final Call to Action
I urge your office to take immediate steps to address these concerns, ensuring that psychological abuse—whether by a caretaker, a legal professional, or the system itself—is treated with the seriousness it warrants. Furthermore, clear guidelines must be established to allow reports of child abuse to be filed and acted upon, no matter the source of the abuse.
I appreciate your attention to this matter and look forward to your prompt response. If there is any additional information or documentation required, I would be happy to provide it.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Kenneth R. Gottfried
GottfriedMarketing.com
I am writing to bring an important issue to your attention regarding the intake process for reporting child abuse, and to emphasize the broader definition of child abuse that encompasses not just actions by caregivers, but also judicial and systemic failures that enable continued abuse.
Definition of Child AbuseAs defined by law, child abuse includes not only physical harm but also emotional and psychological harm. Psychological child abuse is recognized under DSM-5 V995.51 as "Child Psychological Abuse," which refers to actions that cause emotional or mental harm to a child. This abuse often manifests through emotional manipulation, alienation from one parent, or severe psychological maltreatment that can leave lasting scars.
According to G.S. 7B-101, child abuse is any situation where a child is subjected to harm by a parent or caretaker. However, this definition must also account for the critical role that individuals in positions of authority, such as judges, attorneys, and government officials, play in perpetuating child abuse when they fail to uphold laws and make decisions that ignore or dismiss clear evidence of abuse.
Judicial decisions that unjustly deny custody, prolong cases, or fail to act on reports of psychological abuse contribute directly to the emotional and psychological harm of a child. This, too, must be recognized as a form of abuse, as the courts and legal system have a legal and ethical duty to protect children.
Concerns Regarding Intake of ReportsThrough my work and personal experiences, I have encountered numerous cases where reports of psychological child abuse have been ignored, not only by child protective services (Tom Hughes at the DHHS)and law enforcement Sheriff Len Hagaman and the sheriff's office) but also by judges who refuse to consider the long-term harm being done to the child. These cases involve clear signs of emotional manipulation and alienation, yet the very systems tasked with protecting the child—judicial, law enforcement, and child protective agencies—often fail to act, leaving the child vulnerable.
This failure to assess or address psychological abuse, whether by direct caregivers or systemic actors such as judges, constitutes a breach of the mandatory reporting laws and neglects the fundamental responsibility to act in the child’s best interest. When judges dismiss concerns of emotional abuse, they contribute to the ongoing trauma the child endures.
Request for ClarificationWith this in mind, I am formally requesting clarification on the following points:
- How does the county define child abuse, particularly psychological and emotional abuse, and does this definition include harm caused by judicial or systemic failures to act?
- What training and protocols are in place to ensure that law enforcement, DHHS, and judicial actors recognize and appropriately respond to reports of psychological child abuse?
- What is the process for holding judges or other officials accountable when their decisions or inaction contribute to continued child abuse?
- How can intake staff, DHHS, and law enforcement be better trained to recognize psychological abuse stemming from not only caregivers but also from systemic negligence?
Final Call to Action
I urge your office to take immediate steps to address these concerns, ensuring that psychological abuse—whether by a caretaker, a legal professional, or the system itself—is treated with the seriousness it warrants. Furthermore, clear guidelines must be established to allow reports of child abuse to be filed and acted upon, no matter the source of the abuse.
I appreciate your attention to this matter and look forward to your prompt response. If there is any additional information or documentation required, I would be happy to provide it.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Kenneth R. Gottfried
GottfriedMarketing.com
Andrea Capua <[email protected]>Thu, Oct 24, 2024 at 2:51 PM
To: "Gottfried Marketing MemberPrinting.com Buddhastein" <[email protected]>
Ken,
I will forward your concerns to DSS, the County Manager and the Watauga County Sheriff’s Department. That is all that I can offer you at this point. If I’m not mistaken, these concerns were already raised years ago so they should all be aware of them from before.
Andrea
To: "Gottfried Marketing MemberPrinting.com Buddhastein" <[email protected]>
Ken,
I will forward your concerns to DSS, the County Manager and the Watauga County Sheriff’s Department. That is all that I can offer you at this point. If I’m not mistaken, these concerns were already raised years ago so they should all be aware of them from before.
Andrea
Gottfried Marketing MemberPrinting.com Buddhastein <[email protected]>Thu, Oct 24, 2024 at 3:14 PM
To: Andrea Capua <[email protected]>, Sam Garrett <[email protected]>, [email protected]
Dear Mrs. Capua,
I acknowledge your response, but I must be very clear: simply forwarding my concerns is not enough. This is not an issue confined to my past case—it is a matter of ongoing, systemic child abuse that continues to harm children in our county right now. Over the last 9 years, I have received well over 20+ phone calls from parents reporting that their children have been psychologically abused under the rulings of Judge Hal G. Harrison and Judge Rebecca Eggers-Gryder. These cases mirror the abuse my own children suffered, and yet, nothing has changed.
This is not just about my experience. These are real-time, active cases where children are being psychologically tormented and neglected by a system that refuses to acknowledge or address the abuse. For you to suggest that my concerns were "raised years ago" completely disregards the urgency of this crisis. We are talking about children suffering right now because of ongoing failures by the judiciary and Tom Hughes with Watauga DHHS.
Forwarding this message to DHHS, the County Manager, and the Sheriff’s Department is not enough. These institutions have consistently refused to take meaningful action, and in doing so, they are complicit in this abuse. These children need more than a passive referral—they need real intervention. The failure to act on these reports is enabling the abuse to continue, unchecked.
I expect a clear and immediate course of action to address these failures and to hold those responsible accountable. I need to know what specific steps will be taken to investigate these ongoing abuses and to ensure that judges and officials who are enabling this behavior are no longer shielded from accountability.
If no substantial action is taken, I will have no choice but to pursue this matter through broader channels, including media exposure, legal action, and public campaigns. This is not a matter that can be swept under the rug any longer. The children of Watauga County deserve better, and I will not stop until they get the protection they are entitled to by law.
I await your immediate response.
Sincerely,
Kenneth R. Gottfried
To: Andrea Capua <[email protected]>, Sam Garrett <[email protected]>, [email protected]
Dear Mrs. Capua,
I acknowledge your response, but I must be very clear: simply forwarding my concerns is not enough. This is not an issue confined to my past case—it is a matter of ongoing, systemic child abuse that continues to harm children in our county right now. Over the last 9 years, I have received well over 20+ phone calls from parents reporting that their children have been psychologically abused under the rulings of Judge Hal G. Harrison and Judge Rebecca Eggers-Gryder. These cases mirror the abuse my own children suffered, and yet, nothing has changed.
This is not just about my experience. These are real-time, active cases where children are being psychologically tormented and neglected by a system that refuses to acknowledge or address the abuse. For you to suggest that my concerns were "raised years ago" completely disregards the urgency of this crisis. We are talking about children suffering right now because of ongoing failures by the judiciary and Tom Hughes with Watauga DHHS.
Forwarding this message to DHHS, the County Manager, and the Sheriff’s Department is not enough. These institutions have consistently refused to take meaningful action, and in doing so, they are complicit in this abuse. These children need more than a passive referral—they need real intervention. The failure to act on these reports is enabling the abuse to continue, unchecked.
I expect a clear and immediate course of action to address these failures and to hold those responsible accountable. I need to know what specific steps will be taken to investigate these ongoing abuses and to ensure that judges and officials who are enabling this behavior are no longer shielded from accountability.
If no substantial action is taken, I will have no choice but to pursue this matter through broader channels, including media exposure, legal action, and public campaigns. This is not a matter that can be swept under the rug any longer. The children of Watauga County deserve better, and I will not stop until they get the protection they are entitled to by law.
I await your immediate response.
Sincerely,
Kenneth R. Gottfried
Ken,
The policies in place are consistent with State and Federal law and guidelines. If you want change, you might consider contacting elected officials who create the laws. This will be my last response, as there is not anything more to say or do at this point.
The policies in place are consistent with State and Federal law and guidelines. If you want change, you might consider contacting elected officials who create the laws. This will be my last response, as there is not anything more to say or do at this point.
Dear Mrs. Capua,
Thank you for your response, but I must address your assertion regarding policy adherence. While policies and laws are indeed in place to protect children from abuse, these protections are not being enforced in Watauga County. Referring me to lawmakers to address a current failure in enforcement fails to address the immediate responsibility of local officials, whose duty is to uphold the child protection laws already mandated by the state and federal governments.
Over the last nine years, I have received calls from more than 20 families, each detailing cases of child psychological abuse, especially within cases overseen by Judge Hal G. Harrison and Judge Rebecca Eggers-Gryder and officials in our county. These are active, ongoing instances, not isolated historical incidents. Both state and federal laws mandate the reporting and investigation of suspected child abuse. However, Watauga County appears to have no active procedures or accountability in place to ensure that suspected child abuse cases are fully investigated and appropriately documented.
Additionally, 10 days ago, I requested a copy of the procedures for reporting child abuse. To date, I have received no response. Please clarify whether there is a timeframe by which these procedures must be produced. Failure to respond raises serious concerns as to whether the lack of a clear procedure is simply a method to allow abuse to continue unchecked, thereby shielding the county from potential legal recourse.
For transparency, I am copying this message to The Associated Press, BBC America, NPR, Sam Garrett with the High Country Press, and the North Carolina State Bar, highlighting the county’s failure to provide the procedures necessary for mandatory child abuse reporting. The deliberate or negligent lack of action in enforcing these laws directly enables ongoing child abuse, and I am compelled to make every effort to bring these issues to light.
Please respond with the requested procedures and outline the county’s plan to address this ongoing failure in reporting and protecting vulnerable children.
Sincerely,
Kenneth R. Gottfried
ChildAbusiveJudges.com
Over 1000+ Judges accused of child abuse.
ChildAbusiveJudges.com
Kenneth R. Gottfried
GottfriedMarketing.com
Thank you for your response, but I must address your assertion regarding policy adherence. While policies and laws are indeed in place to protect children from abuse, these protections are not being enforced in Watauga County. Referring me to lawmakers to address a current failure in enforcement fails to address the immediate responsibility of local officials, whose duty is to uphold the child protection laws already mandated by the state and federal governments.
Over the last nine years, I have received calls from more than 20 families, each detailing cases of child psychological abuse, especially within cases overseen by Judge Hal G. Harrison and Judge Rebecca Eggers-Gryder and officials in our county. These are active, ongoing instances, not isolated historical incidents. Both state and federal laws mandate the reporting and investigation of suspected child abuse. However, Watauga County appears to have no active procedures or accountability in place to ensure that suspected child abuse cases are fully investigated and appropriately documented.
Additionally, 10 days ago, I requested a copy of the procedures for reporting child abuse. To date, I have received no response. Please clarify whether there is a timeframe by which these procedures must be produced. Failure to respond raises serious concerns as to whether the lack of a clear procedure is simply a method to allow abuse to continue unchecked, thereby shielding the county from potential legal recourse.
For transparency, I am copying this message to The Associated Press, BBC America, NPR, Sam Garrett with the High Country Press, and the North Carolina State Bar, highlighting the county’s failure to provide the procedures necessary for mandatory child abuse reporting. The deliberate or negligent lack of action in enforcing these laws directly enables ongoing child abuse, and I am compelled to make every effort to bring these issues to light.
Please respond with the requested procedures and outline the county’s plan to address this ongoing failure in reporting and protecting vulnerable children.
Sincerely,
Kenneth R. Gottfried
ChildAbusiveJudges.com
Over 1000+ Judges accused of child abuse.
ChildAbusiveJudges.com
Kenneth R. Gottfried
GottfriedMarketing.com