Gotwald v. Gotwald

768 S.W.2d 689, 1988 Tenn. App. LEXIS 711
CourtCourt of Appeals of Tennessee
DecidedNovember 9, 1988
StatusPublished
Cited by54 cases

This text of 768 S.W.2d 689 (Gotwald v. Gotwald) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Tennessee primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Gotwald v. Gotwald, 768 S.W.2d 689, 1988 Tenn. App. LEXIS 711 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1988).

Opinions

OPINION

TODD, Presiding Judge.

In this divorce case, the father, Richard G. Gotwald, has appealed from certain ! post-decree decisions of the Trial Court regarding custody, care and support of the infant child of the parties.

Proceedings in the Trial Court

, On November 14, 1983, the parties were ¡divorced, custody of the 1 year old son of the parties was committed to the mother, and stated visitation was allowed the father who was ordered to pay $425 per month child support.

On May 24, 1985, the father filed a petition for injunction and change of custody on grounds of abuse of the child by the wife’s intimate friend.

On the same date the Trial Court enjoined the mother and her intimate friend from interfering with the father’s temporary custody of the child.

On May 28, 1985, the mother answered denying misconduct on the part of her intimate friend.

On September 10, 1985, the Trial Court [restored custody to the mother under conditions excluding the intimate friend from I association with the child and amended ¡schedule of visitation with the father.

On March 10, 1986, the mother filed a “Counter Complaint”, reciting a lengthy list of complaints against the husband and praying that she be restored to unrestrained custody, that the injunction ¡against association with her intimate friend ¡be lifted, that child support be increased, 'that the child advocate appointed by the [691]*691court be discharged and for attorney’s fees.

On April 2, 1986, the father filed an “Amended and Supplemental Complaint for Change of Custody”, alleging further abuse of the child by the mother.

On April 3, 1986, the father filed an “Amended Complaint Adding Additional Defendant,” naming the intimate friend of the wife and seeking to enjoin him from being in the presence of the child.

On May 13, 1986, the mother answered the Amended and Supplemental Complaint denying the material averments thereof.

The Evidence

The trial of this case consumed 9 weeks, involved 45 witnesses, and produced 7,375 pages of testimony. Obviously, any comprehensive summary of the evidence is impractical. The general substance of material evidence will be reviewed, in logical, but not chronological order in the record.

It is uncontroverted that, following the divorce in November, 1983, the father married his present wife whose first name is “Suzy”, not to be confused with “Susan” his first wife and mother of the child. Also after the divorce, the mother established a social relationship with one Glenn Booth.

Dr. James McGeehee, a psychiatrist, testified without contradiction or objection that, prior to the divorce, he treated the father for “adjustment disorder” and “dys-thymic disorder” arising out of loss of his wife’s attention to the child and his affair with a girl friend.

The father testified to certain bruises on the child’s body and statements of the child to him such as:

Glenn scares me
Mommy don’t like you and I don’t either.
Mommy said you’re a drunk.
Glenn and Mommy pinch my fingers.
Glenn’s not nice to me.
Don’t take me to Mommy’s.
Glenn pinched it (my ear).
Glenn pulls my hair.
Glenn punches me in my stomach.

The present wife of the father corroborated the testimony of the father.

Jo Larrimer, next door neighbor of the father, testified that the child made some of the above statements to her.

Meg Wade, a friend of the father, testified that she saw bruises and heard some of the above statements of the child.

The child advocate testified that the child made similar statements to her.

Charles Gentry, director of Family and Children’s Services of Knoxville, Tennessee, testified that the father brought the child to him and that the child made statements similar to the above. However, Gentry also testified that the child told him he had not been hurt by Glenn or anybody.

Dr. Embry McKee, a psychiatrist, testified that the father brought the child to him on May 22,1985, and that the child told him his hair had been pulled, his penis squeezed, his ear pulled, and his stomach hit, and that he had been whipped and “tinkled on” by “Glenn”.

At Dr. McKee’s direction, the child was taken by the father to Dr. Kent Kyger on May 24, 1985. Dr. Kyger testified that the child told him that Glenn was mean to him, hurt him, pinched him, burned him, put him in a closet and “pinched” his penis. Dr. Kyger further testified that he subsequently interviewed the mother and Booth and observed the child in Booth’s presence and concluded that the child was suffering from anxiety caused by separation from his mother and that the statements of the child regarding abuse were untrue. The father asserts that the opinion of Dr. Kyger was strongly influenced by his discovery that Glenn Booth is a doctor.

Dr. Roland Summit a “sex abuse expert” criticized Dr. Kyger’s methods and conclusions.

Carol Etherington, Director of Davidson County Victim Intervention Program, criticized Dr. Kyger’s methods.

The child was interviewed on numerous occasions by employees of the Department of Human Services, the Police Department and the District Attorney General.

[692]*692The mother, Susan Gotwald, testified that none of the alleged abuse occurred in her presence and there had been no opportunity for such to occur during the brief periods when Booth was alone with the child. The mother also testified that, immediately after the birth of the child, the father deserted her and the child and began living with his present wife, Suzy; that she sought reconciliation, but received only notes regarding oral sex, slinky negligees and X-rated movies.

Glenn Booth testified that there was no truth in the allegations of abuse.

Dr. Jill Chambers, the mother’s obstetrician, testified of the behavior of the father after the birth of the child.

Dr. Vernon Sharp, a psychiatrist, testified that he had seen Booth 12 or 15 times and that he was not a sex abuser; also that he had seen the child once, but, in view of the many others interviewing the child, he terminated the interview in the best interest of the child. Dr. Sharp also testified that a child of the age of the subject child is “very malleable in terms of the power of suggestion,” and “could be written on just like a blackboard.”

Dr. Ralph Underwager, clinical psychologist, testified that he had reviewed the various interviews with the child and that they were improperly conducted and of no probative value.

Dr. Moisy Shopper, a child psychologist, testified that he had reviewed all of the interviews by various public employees and found them to be manipulative and non credible. '

Dr. Lee Coleman,' a child psychiatrist, also testified critically of the various investigatory interviews and approved the method of confrontation employed by Dr. Ky-ger.

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Bluebook (online)
768 S.W.2d 689, 1988 Tenn. App. LEXIS 711, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/gotwald-v-gotwald-tennctapp-1988.