A medical dispute over jaundice treatment prompted the state to take custody of Rodney and Temecia Jackson’s daughter for more than three weeks.
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ATexascoupleisstilllistedonastatechildneglectregistry,eventhoughtheallegationsagainstthemweredismissedandtheirchildreturnedtothem.Thecoupleisnowsuingthestate,arguingthatbeinglistedontheregistryviolatestheirrightstodueprocess.
RodneyandTemeciaJacksonareamarriedcouplewiththreechildrenlivingnearDallas,Texas.Followingtwocaesarianbirths,TemeciaandRondeychosetohirealicensedmidwifeandhaveahomebirthfortheirthirdchild.TheJacksons’daughter—identifiedinthesuitas“M.J.”—wasbornhealthyonMarch21,2023.Accordingtotheirlawsuit,theJacksonstookM.J.toanearbypediatrician’sofficeforaroutinevisitthreedaysaftershewasborn.Whilethere,anursenotedthatM.J.hadsignsofjaundice,acommonconditioninnewborns.Thecouplescheduledafollow-upappointmentandleftwithoutissue.
Laterthatday,Dr.AnandBhattcalledtheJacksonsandtoldthemthatM.J.neededtogotoalocalneonatalintensive
