Judge Lifts Order That Mom Speak English

A judge on Friday rescinded his order that a woman speak English to her 5-year-old daughter.

State District Judge Sam Kiser had ordered Marta Laureano at an Aug. 16 hearing to speak English as well as Spanish to her 5-year-old daughter. At an earlier hearing, he had said the girl’s ignorance of English was abusive and doomed her to life as a maid.

He later apologized to Hispanics for the comment, but let his order stand. Laureano filed a motion to set aside Kiser’s order, which was part of a custody dispute.

Laureano, a bilingual Mexican native, said she was speaking Spanish to the child so the girl could grow up bilingual. Language became an issue in the custody case when her ex-husband, Timothy Garcia, said he was teaching their daughter the only English she knew.