Parents Defend Spanking After Court Ruling: We ‘Just Want to Help Kids’
A born-again Christian couple hoping to adopt a foster child are not allowed to do so because they believe in spanking as a form of discipline, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled recently.
Gregory and Melanie Magazu, parents to two daughters and a newborn son, first applied to become foster parents in 2012. Melanie was in foster care herself from age 11 to 18, according to the Telegram & Gazette, and has been passionate about the issue ever since. But when the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families learned that the couple believe in corporal punishment, their application was denied. The Magazus appealed the decision, but on Monday the state Supreme Judicial Court ruled in favor of DCF.
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The Magazus, who became born-again Christians seven years ago, said that they do spank their children, “on the buttocks, using hands,” according to the Telegram & Gazette. Spanking is legal in Massachusetts. The couple said they believe corporal punishment is encouraged by the Bible, citing the proverb “Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him” in their appeal. Denying the couple the right to become foster parents, they claimed, “infringe(d) on their constitutional right to the free exercise of religion.”
Melanie and Gregory Magazu speak out after the court upheld the DCF decision that they could not become foster parents. (Photo: WCVB/YouTube)
But DCF felt that spanking as discipline could be especially harmful to foster children who may come from abusive homes, according to the Telegram & Gazette, and the court agreed. “We … conclude that although the department’s decision imposes a substantial burden on the Magazus’ sincerely held religious beliefs, this burden is outweighed by the department’s compelling interest in protecting the physical and emotional well-being of foster children,” the court wrote in its unanimous opinion, according to the paper.
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In their appeal, the couple said spanking is only a small piece of their parenting philosophy, that they practice it only in private, and that they agreed not to spank their foster children, only their biological children. Despite that, the court did not rule in their favor, and the Magazus will continue using corporal punishment on their daughters, ages 10 and 12, and their infant son, they say. “We were hoping that things would obviously go differently and the [Supreme Judicial Court] would see that our family just wants to help kids,” Gregory told the Telegram & Gazette. “DCF has a long track record of approving people who really, clearly are probably not up to the task. If you look at (our) whole picture, I think you’d say, ‘Obviously, these parents are getting the job done, a very hard job done.’”
The Magazus told the paper that they will likely not appeal their case to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Top photo: Melanie Ann Moses Magazu/Facebook
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