September 22, 2009
Gay mom in Tennessee wins appeal of 'paramour' prohibition
David Foucher READ TIME: 1 MIN.
JACKSON, TN - A gay mother has won an appeal of a custody order that prohibited her longtime partner from spending the night while her children were in their home.
The Tennessee Court of Appeals said in the ruling released Monday in Jackson that a court should decide what's in the best interest of the children when considering a "paramour clause" in a custody plan.
The case from Gibson County involved Angel Chandler and Joseph Barker, who divorced in 1998. The original custody plan didn't include a paramour clause but when during a 2008 modification the trial judge said a "policy across the state of Tennessee" required one.
The appellate court ruled the policy was local, not statewide, and the best interests of the children must come first.
David Foucher is the CEO of the EDGE Media Network and Pride Labs LLC, is a member of the National Lesbian & Gay Journalist Association, and is accredited with the Online Society of Film Critics. David lives with his daughter in Dedham MA.
