16-year-old files lawsuit against parents to prevent an abortion

The latest battle over abortion was front and center in a Houston courtroom involving a 16 year old teenage mother from Hockley.




According to court records, the 16 year old female who is ten weeks pregnant, filed a lawsuit against her parents.  




She claimed they pressured her to have an abortion.  




The teen alleges her parents even threatened her with physical force if she didn't abort the child.



But after a week in the national spotlight the young mother and her parents settled their differences.




The 16 year old will be allowed to have the child.  




Fox 26 News has obtained a copy of the agreement reached between the soon to be young mother and her parents.  




It reads the teen may have the child and her parents won't threaten her with physical force.




The parents will also give their daughter consent to marry the biological father.  They will return the expectant mother's car, pay her cell phone bill and half of her health insurance just to name a few of the terms.




Evan Madison is the 16 year old biological father of the unborn child.




Madison says, "emotionally and stressful it's been tough we've had fights and arguments over all of this and what will happen next because her parents are very unpredictable."




The 16 year old was represented by The Texas Center for Defense of Life.  Attorneys for the group say they see this as a major victory in the fight against abortion.


Read more: http://www.myfoxhouston.com/story/21237021/16-year-old-files-lawsuit-against-parents-to-prevent-an-abortion#ixzz2LMMgobdX

[AHP84]

Wow! This really bothers and angers me on the teens' side of things. I am all for supporting the fact that her parents should not be forcing an abortion on her, okay. I get that. Perhaps that's what led her to filing a lawsuit against her own parents to protect herself from that.
But then to continue on with having the parents required to pay her bills and give her permission to marry?! From what I can tell, the bills they are required to pay for their 16 year old child who just sued them, those are not bills that are necessary, except the health insurance.
If she and the baby's father want to be so grown up, then why is she not being forced to emancipate herself by the courts? Then she can be 100% responsible for her own life, marry the boy, and they can pay their own bills and raise their child together.
Ooooh, this angers me so much! Maybe because I've faced my own legal struggles lately involving a teenager, so this hits a personal nerve for me.
Urgh! okay...rant over.

What are the thoughts you all have?

[specialmom]

I do really pity parents that end up raising TWO kids because their child decides to have unprotected sex and get pregnant.  I don't think this lawsuit does anything to help this girl understand that if she is going to do something that is adult like (like having a baby and being a parent and a wife) that she should probably be able to live like an adult.  

Sadly, this girl has no idea what she just did to herself.  She has forced her life into a direction that is going to be long and hard.  Married young, not financially independent but having a child, uneducated and now will have to make GREAT effort to get educated as it just got harder (did she sue her parents to babysit while she goes to school?)---  it's just really sad.

Kids raising kids is sad.  

This is not about my opinion on abortion----  I don't think anyone should be forced to have a child or to not have a child.  

But I agree, teen pregnancy is a problem.  And I think more consequences to not being responsible sexually is one of the answers, not less.  I wouldn't have gotten pregnant as a teen as I knew it would be the end of my dreams, it would change my life and make it harder, etc.  GREAT deterent.  

[adgal]

I'm on the same page as you two.  I am not ok with the child being forced to have an abortion, but she sues them for a car?  I get the feeling this little girl is seeing herself playing house with a doll, not taking on adult challenges in the real world.  It is time to seriously address the issue of teen pregnancy.  I'm not sure exactly how to go about it (although I have some ideas), but our society needs to take a long hard look at it and start looking for solutions.  These babies being born to teenage parents are statistically looking at a life of struggle and poverty, and often the cycle is repeated.  I have a second cousin that was a grandmother at 38 for heavens sake.  Something is seriously wrong that these young people think it perfectly ok to raise a child at this age.

[teko]

Have we heard anything from the parents side here or are we still only listening to the kid? I had my first child at 17. I think if a 16 year old is pregnant and wants to have the child, she should have it and it is her right. Now with that right comes responsibilities as well. I do believe as a parent that is the discussion I would be having and askhing her how she is going to go forward supporting herself and a baby if she intends to keep it, or finding out if she has thought about other options.

[teko]

I would also be having her emancipated. She is now an adult ya know! Time to act like one.

[AHP84]

The ONLY thing I can legally see the parents having any remaining obligation to their 16 year old child is providing health insurance until she can somehow get her own. But to be forced to provide her a car, a cell phone, and force them to give her permission to marry her 16 year old boyfriend "just to name a few of the terms" is absurd! Why should she be so entitled to all that?

[specialmom]

I know.  I didn't realize i was legally responsible for providing my child with a cell phone and a car. Really, this is such an awful story.