Nationwide — Rodney and Temecia Jackson, an African American couple from Dallas, Texas, are suing the state after their newborn daughter was taken from them in 2023 when they chose midwifery care to treat their baby’s jaundice instead of going to a hospital. They claim the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) violated their rights and caused long-term damage to their family.In March 2023, the Jacksons welcomed their daughter Mila at home with licensed midwife Cheryl Edinbyrd. A few days later, their longtime pediatrician, Dr. Anand Bhatt, diagnosed Mila with jaundice and urged them to seek hospital treatment. Instead, the Jacksons followed their midwife’s treatment plan, which included phototherapy, nutritional support, and monitoring.
According to Atlanta Black Star, Dr. Bhatt reported them to child protective services when he was unable to contact the family. Police arrived at their home and took seven-day-old Mila, placing her with a foster family. The Jacksons spent 24 days fighting to bring her back. DFPS also opened a neglect investigation into their two older children due to a school documentation error.
Even after Mila was returned, DFPS marked the case as “reason to believe” the couple neglected her. In 2024, that was downgraded to “unable to determine.” But this label still affects their daily lives because schools, medical professionals, and other institutions can request to see their DFPS records.
In 2025, after receiving their case files, the Jacksons discovered a state specialist had found no evidence of neglect. The report confirmed that Mila received appropriate care and did not suffer any health complications. Despite this, DFPS kept the “unable to determine” status due to perceived risk.
Their lawsuit, filed in Travis County, claims DFPS unfairly labels parents without due process or proof. The Jacksons are asking the court to declare these practices unconstitutional and to update their record to “ruled out.”
They are not seeking money — only to clear their names and prevent other families from facing similar trauma. DFPS has until May 12 to respond to the lawsuit.