FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 18, 2026 Contact: Jeremy Newman, Vice President at Family Freedom Project Email: Jeremy.Newman@FamilyFreedomProject.org Phone: 214-707-8445 Texas Baby Taken by CPS for Two Years After Parents Labeled “On the Autistic Spectrum” Civil Rights Lawsuit Filed Brownwood, Texas — The Family Freedom Project is fighting to reunite Joel and Donelle with their daughter, Rose, after two years of baseless and discriminatory separation by Child Protective Services (CPS). Joel and Donelle’s attorneys have also filed a civil rights lawsuit against CPS and various medical doctors, alleging violations of parental rights and illegal discrimination based on a perceived disability. In December 2023, Joel [...]

Nobody wants to end up in family court. But even in family court, there are rules that protect parents and children from overreach by judges. At least, there are supposed to be.  But in September of 2025, two parents learned exactly how far outside the rules some judges are willing to go. George and Ashley (whose names are being changed to protect their privacy), appeared in court with an agreement in hand to resolve outstanding issues of child support and custody for their daughter. The trial was scheduled for that day, but the parents hoped to avoid a legal battle.  [...]

Summary During a recent oral argument, the Texas Supreme Court raised the question of whether Texas’s new parental rights constitutional amendment, which was passed by Texas voters just one month ago, should reshape how the court views CPS cases.  The parental rights amendment was FFP’s top legislative priority this year. When it passed the ballot on November 4, Texas became the first state in the country, and perhaps in the world, to explicitly protect parental rights in our constitution.  The justices also discussed the Family Freedom Project’s amicus brief in the case. In the brief, FFP urged the court to [...]

Published first at FirstLiberty.org. On November 4, Texas did something no other state in the US has ever done: It explicitly enshrined into the state constitution the fundamental right of parents to raise their children. Although Proposition 15 passed with a wide margin at the ballot box (70% to 30%), given the relatively little fanfare that it received in our oversaturated news cycle, one might be forgiven for missing it entirely. But this moment should not be understated. Texas is now the first state in the country to have this right enshrined in the state constitution, placing its legal existence firmly beyond [...]