Children Given Back To Mother

Wed., Feb. 22, 1995

From Staff And Wire Reports

A judge ordered the Oregon Children’s Services Division Tuesday to return five of the six children the agency took from their mother after she spanked her 11-year-old son with a belt.

The family will meet with CSD officials Wednesday for a meeting on returning the sixth child, the boy who was hit.

The other children, ages 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10, were returned immediately by order of Washington County Circuit Judge Donald Letourneau.

Their parents were giving them a pizza dinner Tuesday evening and telephone messages left at the house weren’t immediately returned.

The children were taken from their mother, Diane Whitehead, at a school where she had been attending a Valentine’s party with them Friday. The younger ones were screaming as they were pulled away.

At the court hearing Tuesday, Letourneau heard testimony from family supporters, including Patricia Smith, who attends a Mormon church with the Whiteheads.

“There is not a problem in the Whitehead home,” she said. “This is a very well-balanced family, a happy family that is good to children. There are no needs to be taken care of there.”

Bart Wilson, CSD Washington County branch manager, said the agency acted correctly in removing the youngsters from their mother to ensure their safety.

“We had a report we had allegations that a youngster had been abused,” Wilson said. “We had a situation where we couldn’t be sure the youngster was safe and what we need to do as a public agency to protect children is to protect them first and that’s what we did.”

The father of the family, Capt. Gordon Whitehead, the second-in-command for Marine recruiting in Oregon, was out of town when the CSD took the children. He said Monday that the agency acted too quickly and didn’t do a full investigation.

A couple who live near the family’s home in suburban Aloha called the sheriff’s office when they heard the boy screaming Thursday night.

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.