In re L.G.

Ohio Court of Appeals·Decided May 8, 2026·No. H-25-018; H-25-019·Published

Opinion

[Cite as In re L.G., 2026-Ohio-1684.]

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF OHIO SIXTH APPELLATE DISTRICT HURON COUNTY

In re L.G., G.G. Court of Appeals No. H-25-018 H-25-019

Trial Court No. DNA 2024 046 DNA 2024 047

DECISION AND JUDGMENT

Decided: May 8, 2026

***** Anthony J. Richardson, II, for appellant.

Loretta Riddle, for appellee.

*****

SULEK, J.

{¶ 1} Appellant-mother A.O. appeals the judgment of the Huron County Court of

Common Pleas, Juvenile Division, which granted appellee-father G.G.’s motion for legal

custody of the minor children L.G. and Gi.G. For the reasons that follow, the juvenile

court’s judgment is affirmed. I. Factual Background and Procedural History

{¶ 2} A.O. (“Mother”) and G.G. (“Father”) have two children: L.G., born in 2019,

and Gi.G., born in 2016. Mother and Father never married each other and no longer live

together.

{¶ 3} On May 17, 2024, the Huron County Department of Job and Family

Services (“Agency”), filed a complaint alleging that the children were dependent. The

children had been living with Mother at the time, and their living conditions were

described as “deplorable,” with allegations that the home was filled with mud, animal

urine, and feces. In addition, the Agency received reports that the children were

physically abused and beaten with a belt by Father. On May 20, 2024, the children were

placed in the temporary custody of Mother, under the protective supervision of the

Agency.

{¶ 4} On July 11, 2024, the Agency filed for another shelter care hearing. It

alleged that Mother talked about the case in front of the children and told the children that

Father does not love them. The guardian ad litem further reported that the children were

“out of control” with Mother, and that Mother’s home continued to be unsanitary. At the

shelter care hearing held the same day, the juvenile court placed the children in the

temporary custody of Father, under the intensive protective supervision of the Agency.

Mother was granted supervised visitation.

{¶ 5} On August 13, 2024, the juvenile court adjudicated the children dependent.

At the subsequent dispositional hearing, the juvenile court continued the placement of the

2. children in the temporary custody of Father, under the protective supervision of the

Agency. Mother attempted to appeal the dependency adjudication, but this court

dismissed her appeal as untimely.

{¶ 6} A further dispositional hearing was held on December 9, 2024, following

which the juvenile court continued to place the children in the temporary custody of

Father. The next month, Father moved for legal custody of the children.

{¶ 7} On February 25, 2025, Mother moved to modify visitation to allow her

fiancé, B.C., to participate. The guardian ad litem opposed the modification. She

reasoned that the children were not bonded with B.C. and he previously disciplined them

with a belt. The guardian ad litem believed that Mother needed to learn how to discipline

and control her children by herself, and that the visits would be more beneficial to the

children if they were able to spend time alone with Mother. Father also objected to the

modification. On March 7, 2025, the juvenile court denied Mother’s motion.

{¶ 8} On March 21, 2025, Mother requested a shelter care hearing based on

allegations that she heard about Father. The children reported that Father put soap and

hot sauce in their mouths as discipline and hit their mouths and their buttocks. The

juvenile court held a shelter care hearing, following which it continued the placement of

the children in the temporary custody of Father.

{¶ 9} A further dispositional hearing was held on May 15, 2025. Again, the

children were continued in the temporary custody of Father.

3. {¶ 10} On June 2, 2025, the matter came before the juvenile court for a non-oral

hearing on issues concerning Mother’s parenting time. The juvenile court clarified that

Mother’s visits should continue to occur in a restricted, well-supervised setting. The

visits should occur bi-weekly, and at a minimum of once per month with each child. B.C.

should continue to be excluded from visiting with the children.

{¶ 11} On July 30, 2025, the juvenile court held a hearing on Father’s motion for

legal custody.

{¶ 12} At the hearing, Angela Pocock, the case supervisor, testified for Father.

Pocock testified in lieu of the ongoing case worker, Rachel Polinko, who was on

maternity leave. Pocock explained that she spoke weekly with Polinko about the case

and recently has been going to the visits in anticipation of having to testify. Pocock

testified that the Agency became involved in 2024 in response to allegations made in a

civil custody case between Father and Mother. Father alleged that Mother’s home was

unclean and unsanitary and that the children were unsafe with Mother. Mother likewise

alleged that Father’s home was unsafe.

{¶ 13} During the initial Agency involvement, the children “ended up having

some bruise marks on them.” The children indicated that Father caused the bruise marks,

which prompted the Agency to file its complaint in dependency. In addition to the bruise

marks, the Agency also expressed concern for the unsanitary conditions of Mother’s

home caused by her housing of 17 dogs. Further, it expressed concern that the children

would come to visits at the Agency with feet that were black from dirt. Finally, the

4. Agency had concerns that Mother was unable to control the children and manage their

behavior safely. As an example, Pocock cited an incident where one of the children

stabbed the other one with a pencil and Mother did not intervene.

{¶ 14} As the Agency continued its investigation, the children recanted their

allegations of abuse by Father. They instead reported that it was Mother’s fiancé, B.C.,

who had hit them with belts. The children have maintained that allegation ever since.

This led to the Juvenile Court changing temporary custody of the children from Mother to

Father.

{¶ 15} Pocock stated that since being placed in Father’s care, the children’s

progress “has been very significant,” and they are “doing extremely well in father’s

care.” She noted that the children are in counseling bi-weekly, their schooling is

improving, and Father has been following up on all their medical care. Pocock testified

that the children have a strong bond with Father. Father’s home is appropriate, and the

children get along well with Father’s girlfriend, her daughter, and the new baby that

Father and his girlfriend have together.

{¶ 16} Pocock described Father’s manner of discipline. Previously, there were

concerns that Father would put hot sauce on the children’s tongues when they used curse

words. Since then, Father has completed the Ohio Guidestone Nurturing Parenting

program, and he no longer uses that method of discipline. Instead, he implements time-

outs or taking away the children’s electronics. Pocock explained that recently, Father and

5. Mother have been communicating better about the children’s behavior and have been

trying to co-parent better by discussing how to handle certain behaviors.

{¶ 17} As to Father himself, Pocock testified that he has completed all the case

plan goals that were provided for him. As part of that, Father has been attending

counseling.

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