Garrett v. Ewing

2018 Ohio 3716
Ohio Court of Appeals·Decided September 17, 2018·No. 17-18-03·Published

Opinion

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF OHIO THIRD APPELLATE DISTRICT

SHELBY COUNTY

LETITIA N. GARRETT, PLAINTIFF-APPELLANT, CASE NO. 17-18-03 v.

JESS E. EWING, OPINION DEFENDANT-APPELLEE.

Appeal from Shelby County Common Pleas Court Juvenile Division

Trial Court No. 2011 SUP 0091

Judgment Affirmed

Date of Decision: September 17, 2018

APPEARANCES:

Jeremy M. Tomb for Appellant Jay M. Lopez for Appellee

SHAW, J.

{¶1} Plaintiff-appellant, Letitia Garrett (“Garrett”), brings this appeal from the March 6, 2018, judgment of the Shelby County Common Pleas Court, Juvenile Division, terminating the shared parenting plan between her and defendant-appellee, Jess Ewing (“Ewing”), and awarding custody of the parties’ two children to Ewing. On appeal, Garrett argues that the trial court erred by finding Garrett in contempt for denying Ewing parenting time with the children, that the trial court erred in finding that it was in the children’s best interest that Ewing be named sole residential parent and legal custodian of the children, and that the trial court abused its discretion when it excluded some statements made by one child to a mental health professional.

Relevant Facts and Procedural History

{¶2} The parties in this case were never married, but they were together for approximately 10 years. They had two children together: S.E. born in July of 2003 and H.E. born in August of 2009. Following the parties’ separation, there was a substantial amount of litigation related to custody of the children, beginning on December 13, 2011, when Garrett filed a complaint seeking to be named residential parent and legal custodian of the children. However, that initial issue was resolved on April 20, 2012, when the parties voluntarily entered into a shared parenting plan (“SPP”), agreeing to share parental rights and responsibilities of the children.

{¶3} Then, on January 29, 2014, Garrett filed a motion for reallocation of parental rights and responsibilities. Ewing subsequently filed a motion to modify the SPP. Both parties filed contempt motions, Ewing arguing that Garrett had improperly denied him visitation with the children and claiming that Garrett had improperly used the child tax exemption against court orders.

{¶4} A guardian ad litem (“GAL”) was appointed for the children and she filed a report on April 18, 2014. The GAL’s report indicated that Garrett stopped sending the children for Ewing’s parenting time after an incident wherein S.E. received a burn on his “bottom” from Ewing’s motorcycle. The GAL recommended that Ewing receive makeup time for the time he lost with his children, and then concluded that the SPP should continue.

{¶5} A hearing was held before a magistrate on the pending issues May 13, 2014.1 On June 13, 2014, the magistrate rendered a decision keeping the SPP in place, with minor alterations regarding the schedule. The magistrate’s decision did find Ewing in contempt for her refusal to send the children for Ewing’s parenting time and for using the tax exemption in violation of the SPP. No objections were filed to the magistrate’s decision, and it was adopted as the order of the trial court on July 17, 2014.

1 There is no transcript of this hearing in the record.

{¶6} The next major action in this case began on April 2, 2015, when Garrett filed an ex parte motion to suspend Ewing’s parenting time. She later also sought the reallocation of parental rights and responsibilities.

{¶7} On May 4, 2015, Ewing filed a motion to terminate the SPP, seeking to be named as residential parent and legal custodian of the children.

{¶8} On May 7, 2015, Ewing filed a contempt motion against Garrett for her refusal to send the children for his parenting time.

{¶9} A GAL was again appointed for the children, and on August 17, 2015, the GAL filed her report. The GAL recommended that the SPP should be continued and that the parties and H.E. should be in counseling.

{¶10} The pending matter proceeded to a final hearing before a magistrate on August 28, 2015. Just prior to the hearing, H.E. was interviewed in camera. The evidence, as summarized by the magistrate, indicated that H.E. had been diagnosed with a number of bladder infections, yeast infections, and UTIs. Garrett attributed these infections to some failing on Ewing’s part, and accused him of sexual abuse of H.E. This was the basis for her ex parte motion against Ewing.

{¶11} The matter was investigated by the police and children’s services and the allegations were determined to be unsubstantiated. However, it was clear that H.E. did have a number of UTIs and yeast infections. As a result, H.E. was provided with certain medications and creams that had to be applied to her private areas.

{¶12} Garrett took H.E. to the doctor often, and when the children were in Ewing’s care, she called the police 4-5 times to do “well checks” on the children despite no discernible reason to do so. No charges were ever filed against Ewing as a result of Garrett’s calls. The magistrate then made the following analytical summary of the evidence presented.

Although Mother asserts that all of her conduct since the prior orders of the Court have been in good faith and in the best interest of the children, a summary of the evidence is that: 1) she made 4-

5 unjustified “Well-Checks” upon father, 2) that she engaged in approximately 8 medical visits for [H.E.]’s vaginal infections (including 2 pelvic exams) without involving or consulting Father other than as noted, 3) that despite the unsubstantiated findings of medical examinations, Children’s Services or the Sheriff’s Office she persists in her belief that sexual abuse has occurred knowing full well that Father had, in fact, been required to make physical contact with [H.E.]’s private areas for needed treatment, 4) that she knew or should have known full well the limitations of the information upon which the Counselor relied when advising her that sexual abuse occurred,2 and 5) that regardless of the best interest of [S.E.] and [H.E.] she continues to advocate that it would be her preference if neither of them were required to ever visit with their Father. She expresses no interest in family counseling that may have a better chance of dealing with the perceived issues. When looking at the totality of the evidence it is clear that Mother has construed each problem she has experienced to be one arising from an abusive or neglectful parenting of the Father. Her behavior has not been in the best interests of the children.

2 H.E.’s counselor was not told about the creams that had to be applied to H.E. as a result of her medical issues and thus when she asked H.E. about being touched by Ewing in her private areas the counselor concluded sexual abuse was occurring.

(Doc. No. 234). Despite this analysis, the magistrate did not recommend awarding custody to Ewing at that time. Rather, the magistrate modified the SPP to a week- on, week-off schedule.

{¶13} The magistrate amended its decision to address additional issues.

Afterward, Garrett objected to the magistrate’s decision. On February 8, 2016, the trial court overruled those objections after conducting an independent review, and then adopted the recommendations of the magistrate.

{¶14} The current litigation began on February 3, 2017, when Garrett filed, inter alia, a motion to terminate the SPP.

{¶15} On March 22, 2017, Ewing also filed a motion to terminate the SPP, and a motion for contempt, seeking to have Garrett found in contempt for refusing to send the children for his parenting time and for Garrett’s failure to send H.E. to school.

{¶16} On April 21, 2017, a GAL was appointed—a different GAL than had worked on the case previously.

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