A sperm donor has filed a motion to have legal custody of a baby boy whose parents are in the middle of a highly-publicized divorce in Oklahoma. Despite signing a previous agreement that he will not seek any parental rights to his biological child, Harlan Vaughn believes he should be publicly recognized as the baby's father.
According to WGN-TV, the sperm donor and one of the parents, Rebekah Wilson, met in person to sign and notarize the agreement in 2018. This was before Wilson and her spouse, Kris Williams, proceeded with artificial insemination. The lesbian couple agreed it will be Wilson who will carry the baby to term.
Brande Sanders, a friend of both LGBTQ+ moms, was a witness to the signing of the agreement with Vaughn and stated that it was clear from the start that the sperm donor has relinquished any rights or relationship with the baby. However, following the divorce do the LGBTQ+ moms, Vaughn has become a presence in the baby's life and he's been staying in the same house as Wilson.
Reports cited that Wilson and the sperm donor have been co-parenting the baby for the last six months. Williams, on the other hand, has not seen her son, now almost 3 years old, since this latest turn of events.
Loopholes in the Parental Rights
Vaughn had been a sperm donor for 14 other couples in Oklahoma. He is contracted through an app called Just A Baby. Part of the stipulations in the contract stated that the sperm donor and the biological mother had to meet at a conference before they work out an agreement.
After the marriage of the LGBTQ+ moms fell apart, Wilson apparently found loopholes in the parental rights and filed a petition to have Williams' name removed from their baby's birth certificate. At the same time, Vaughn re-appeared in the baby's life.
Judge Lynne McGuire initially sided with Wilson and ordered the removal of Williams' name from the birth certificate. The judge said that the non-gestational mother should have filed for the baby's adoption to have parental rights.
However, within days of that ruling, McGuire reversed her first order and reinstated Williams as a legal parent along with Wilson. For now, the parties involved have agreed to the judge's decision about the baby's certificate but the court battle is far from over.
Domestic Abuse Allegations
Aside from Vaughn's parental rights claim to the baby, the LGBTQ+ moms are still in court to contest the victim protective order (VPO) that Wilson filed against her ex-wife. Wilson told the court that her son could be in danger if he has any contact with Williams. She has raised allegations of domestic abuse and wants the court to issue the VPO for five years, per KFOR.
If the court agrees with Wilson, Williams will be prohibited from contacting her son. Both parents have to present testimonies to establish the need for the VPO. This story is still developing.
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