This is such a crazy, unbelievable story, you'd never think it could happen here in the United States: a boy on vacation, taken into custody by the state for no reason, sparking a frustrating, futile, two year fight for his recovery.
But it appears to be true. I even checked on Snopes, and it's not an urban legend, even though it sounds like one.
Joshua William Smith, then seven years old, was in North Carolina for Easter vacation in April, 2006. He was being watched by his father's girlfriend when Carteret County Social Services came to the house and took the boy into custody. The agency claims Joshua was being neglected, but in over two years of legal proceedings, no evidence of abuse has ever been presented. The fact that the girlfriend is also a registered nurse makes these accusations seem even more unlikely.
Joshua's dad, Javan Smith, went to court in Texas, where the two were permanent residents, and was awarded full custody of his son. In the meantime, North Carolina moved Joshua, who is autistic, to a treatment center in Virginia. But when Javan took the Texas order to Virginia, officials there moved Joshua back to North Carolina to evade the order. He has subsequently been moved back and forth between Virginia and North Carolina, making consistent care and visitation from his father virtually impossible.
Why would North Carolina work so hard to keep a father and his son apart? According to the report I read, "Their current claim appears to be that the State of Texas cannot provide adequate education for children."
Seriously? Does that mean that North Carolina plans on grabbing every child from Texas that enters the state? Besides, it's not like North Carolina is doing such a stellar job with Joshua. He isn't on the special diet that his autism requires, and there are suspicions that he is being hurt by either his caretakers or the other kids in his facility.
Fortunately, it does appear that this nightmare is drawing to a close. North Carolina State Representatives were ordered to bring Joshua to a Texas hearing this past Friday, and the FBI has offered to help bring Joshua back to Texas if necessary. I haven't been able to discover the outcome of Friday's court session, but hopefully Javan and Joshua have already been reunited.