Help a father and teacher secure rights to his son

I’m writing this with a heavy heart and an urgent plea. I’m a loving/desperate father/ middle school math teacher fighting for the most important thing in my life: consistent time with my four-year-old son.

I have been completely denied time with my son by his mom due to false concerns and in her words, because I “left” two years ago. His mother filed for child support in August of 2022 while living in another country (to keep my son from me after escaping the extremely abusive, due to our age difference, and controlling relationship). I have been paying child support since she filed. I have been begging for my son since I made the very difficult decision to leave because the abusive environment my son would have grown up in would have traumatized him, and I didn’t want him to think that kind of relationship was okay. I attempted to file for custody and even put out a kidnapping report but the courts said they couldn’t help because she was in another country.

Once she returned to the US, I filed for my rights to my son, both visitation and custody. After numerous attempts at mediation, his mother has refused to honor any progress or agreement by building a list of damaging and false accusations that either convince her that I’m not fit or that prevent a parenting agreement from happening. I don’t have a criminal record nor am or have I ever been a danger to my son. Each time we would come to an agreement, she would go back on what we had decided to keep this process going. At this point I am a complete loss because I have jumped through every hoop she asked only for her to keep moving the goal post and the court allowing her to do so with no consequence, even though they tell me I’m entitled to time with my son.

She has placed trackers on my son without my consent or knowledge. She has even gone as far as utilizing my previous lawyer’s time to vent about her feelings in response to false abuse allegations she made against me after a court-ordered visitation over the winter break of 2024. Both these claims, resulting in a hearing and her calling my lawyer later to vent not only cost me precious time with my son, but also forced me to lose my legal representation. My retainer was totally depleted and I do no not have the money to retain the lawyer again.

Despite a written and signed agreement on February 20th outlining shared parenting time through 2027—an agreement that was supposed to be made official by April 14th—, she’s made additional false claims, saying my apartment is unfit for a child—despite the Guardian ad Litem approving it. I worked for months to renovate my apartment to be in good shape so that I can have my son and to be approved by the GAL. He has his own room, bed, clothes, etc. He loves being here with me annd constantly asks to come over and sleep in his “big kid bed”. He is safe. Because of these claims, our agreement is now null and void and she can keep my son from me for the next two months until the next hearing, once again without any consequence. The Guardian ad Litem is supposed to do an investigation, interviewing our son while in my care and hers, but this has been halted due to the fact that we don’t have a court ordered agreement, therefore she can keep him from me, which she intends to do. That way, it can look like I am not trying to be in his life. If the GAL can’t investigate, the case can’t be resolved. She doesn’t want the courts involved in our situation at all, but it is the ONLY way I’ll get my son.

Every step forward has been met with new obstacles, and all the while, my son and I are losing time we can never get back.

I am seeking to raise $15,000 to retain legal representation before our next critical hearing on June 12th, where temporary parenting time will be determined. This is my chance to restore some consistency, love, and presence in my son’s life—and to stand up for what’s right.

This is not just about me. This is about a child who deserves both parents in his life, and a father who refuses to give up on his bond with his son.

Any contribution—no matter how small—brings me one step closer to being the father my son needs and deserves. Please share, support, and stand with us in this fight.

Thank you for reading and for your support.