Kansas sperm donor fights back after state forces him to pay child support

[Judi Lynn]

Source: WTHI TV10

Kansas sperm donor fights back after state forces him to pay child support
Brooke Lennington
Published: September 5, 2015, 12:00 pm | Updated: September 5, 2015, 12:00 pm

TOPEKA (KSNT) – It’s probably one of the most bizarre Craigslist transaction, involving a lesbian couple desperate for a sperm donor, and a Topeka man willing to help.

Little did he know that act of kindness would lead to a lengthy child support battle that continues to this day. Recently this controversial case led to a court ordered DNA test that revealed he is a father, “I’m the sperm donor, I’m not the father,” William Marotta said.

If Marotta had a nickel for every time he’s said that in the past three years, he’d have enough money to pay off the amount the state of Kansas wants in back child support, “Cause it would be really easy for me to just pay off the money and be done,” Marotta said. “But that’s not the point, shouldn’t have been done in the first place, it’s wrong.”

The person he believes is responsible for the wrongdoing, Governor Sam Brownback, “I believe he’s sat down with a group of his people and said ‘okay,this is what I want to do, how do we accomplish that.’”


Read more: http://wthitv.com/2015/09/05/kansas-sperm-donor-fights-back-after-state-forces-him-to-pay-child-support/

[Bernardo de La Paz]

1. Anything Brownback can do to make life unbearable for LGBT and 'enablers' is his meat & potatoes. nt

[Yupster]

2. Either way

If a man is father to a kid and then later finds out he wasn't the biological father because his wife cheated on him, he still has to pay child support, because he acted as he was the father.

If a man never acted as a father but had a one night stand, he is ordered to pay child support because he is biologically the father.

Sometimes the law is an ass as they say.

[christx30]

3. He probably wishes he could go back in time

and refuse to help them. I know I would.

I had a lesbian couple (one of them a friend from high school) ask for my help having a child together. It meant a lot to my friend. I declined, fearing this very situation.

[Proserpina]

4. He needed to talk to a lawyer and get it all in writing before doing anything

and Kansas is a hellhole. If we can send Dorothy to Oz, how about the rest of the state?

[cui bono]

5. What kind of jerks sue the person that helped them have a baby?

How about a little gratitude?

.

[Gormy Cuss]

6. The "jerks" are the state of Kansas

RTL

[cui bono]

8. And how did the state find out?

Okay, I went to the link... I see the couple doesn't want him to have to pay.

That's just stupid. Is Brownback just made that lesbians have a child?

.

[LiberalElite]

12. If he does end up paying them

they could return the money to him, no? He sends them checks and they don't cash them or something?

[christx30]

14. Usually the debtor pays the

state, and the state disperses the money to the claimant. So I would send the money to the State of Texas, and the state would put the cash onto a debit card that my ex wife has.
Now, if the women wanted to, they could just give him the card, or send him the money if it's given to him another way. But that's up to them.

[LiberalElite]

15. Ah. Thanks for explaining nt

[christx30]

16. Sure thing.

And it's done that way, so the state can monitor it. They'll send past due notices, just like any other bill. But instead of having your cable cut off, you go to jail.

[TexasBushwhacker]

24. It protects both sides

The noncustodial parent has a record with the state that they have paid. When exes decide to just pay and accept child support directly, everything is fine as long as they are amicable. But if the custodial parent reports the one who is paying the child support and says they haven't paid, the payor doesn't have a legal leg to stand on. The state says that all voluntary payments are "gifts".

[cui bono]

23. I was thinking the same thing, but that only keeps this terrible policy in place.

It needs to be shut down.

.

[valerief]

26. Bingo! nt

[yeoman6987]

7. They should make it illegal to do this

Too many negatives involved in this process. Completely make it a crime to even advertise this kind of thing.

[Bernin]

18. ????

I really hope you're joking.

[yeoman6987]

20. Well sorta but this is crap and happens more then this one story.

[blackspade]

9. A ridiculous case.

No way he should be liable for the child support.

[StevieM]

10. When the child gets older he or she will likely want to know their father.

I doubt that they will be impressed by the sperm donor argument.

I hope that the mothers will support those efforts and validate those feelings, rather than dismiss the child's sentiments as illegitimate.

[Boomer]

11. This is why we really don't want to kill all the lawyers

Consulting a good lawyer about this proposed arrangement would really have helped prevent this situation.

I can applaud this man's generous impulse, but I really have to shake my head at his reckless disregard of the law. Fathering a baby is not like buying someone a toaster. It's not a gift you can toss at the mother and then just walk away. And the lesbian couple were incredibly irresponsible as well (I say that as a lesbian) to take such an informal approach to such an important decision. They should never have talked him into this situation.

There are reasons we have laws around parenting; their purpose is to take care of the child, the most vulnerable party and one who did not have the option to make decisions about this arrangement.

If this man wanted to be a sperm donor and not the child's parent, he should have worked through a sperm bank to get that protection.

[joshcryer]

22. A lot of states honor "in home insemination."

It's fascinating that if a doctor did it he would've been in the clear.

A lawyer would have told him as much in this case though.

Really though? His real screw up was not being anonymous. If he remained anonymous, insisted on it, he'd be in the clear, but I suspect he wanted the novelty of having a kid without the responsibility. Maybe be able to show up as the long lost uncle every now and again.

[AnotherDreamWeaver]

13. More power tp him,

and many blessings for him and the girl he 'helped' into this world.

[Sunlei]

17. "Craigslist transaction".

[still_one]

19. Maybe they can make an arragement to have the child put up for adoption, with a clause that custody

goes to the same sex couple

The state really should be sued. You would think the ACLU would get involved in something like this

[joshcryer]

21. They broke up.

As far as the state is concerned he's the biological father. It's a shitty situation that will probably screw that guy for a couple of decades.

His only grace would be for the woman to reimburse forced payments in protest, but given that she is remaining anonymous, that is unlikely to be the case. If she got married and the other partner went for adoption rights that could be another solution.

[ManiacJoe]

25. Every state has laws on how to officially donate sperm.

These laws are specifically designed to prevent such a problem.
If you don't follow the laws, the law cannot protect you.

[YOHABLO]

27. What about anonymous sperm donors, where only the clinic knows the identity of the male provider?