Tennessee Democrats are demanding the state’s Department of Children’s Services return five Black children taken from their parents following a traffic stop in Coffee County last month, the details of which quickly went viral after the Tennessee Lookout first reported the story on Thursday.
The Tennessee Lookout reported that Bianca Clayborne and Deonte Williams were pulled over in Manchester for “dark tint and traveling in the left lane while not passing.” After officers found a blunt and a small bag of cannabis in the vehicle, they arrested Williams and cited Clayborne.
Even though Clayborne was not arrested, DCS sought and received an emergency court order to place the five children — including a still-breastfeeding infant — in state custody. The other children range in age from 2 to 7.
Since then, the family has been subject to multiple drug tests as they seek to reunite their family, according to the Lookout, including a rapid hair follicle test considered unreliable by one expert.
After the story published, Tennessee Sen. London Lamar, D-Memphis, held a press conference at the capitol, calling for the children to be returned to their parents.
“The Coffee County justice system was absolutely out of line for taking their children over a misdemeanor charge, without even filing a petition yet to take those children,” Lamar said.
She called the action an “overuse of power” by the state.
“It is absolutely ridiculous when marijuana is legal in about half the states in the country, and a Black family got five of their children taken away, put into DCS that is not doing a good job taking care of the children they already have,” Lamar said. “And they won’t give them their children back for a misdemeanor charge.”
DCS has come under fire recently for poor living conditions for children in their care and staffing shortages, including some children sleeping in offices.
The couple are due back in Coffee County Juvenile Court on Monday.
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