IN RE KENNA R., ET AL. - Articles

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IN RE KENNA R., ET AL.

Posted by: Azya Thornton on Jul 23, 2025

Court: TN Court of Appeals

Attorneys 1: Nicholas S. Davenport, V, Kingsport, Tennessee, for the appellant, Rikiya P.

Attorneys 2: Emily C. Morley, Rogersville, Tennessee, for the appellant, Daniel R.

Attorneys 3: Jonathan Skrmetti, Attorney General and Reporter, and Mara L. Cunningham, Assistant Attorney General, for the appellee, the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services.

Judge(s): SWINEY

This appeal concerns termination of parental rights. The Tennessee Department of Children’s Services (“DCS”) filed a petition in the Juvenile Court for Hawkins County (“the Juvenile Court”) seeking to terminate the parental rights of Rikiya P. (“Mother”) to her minor children Annabelle, Jasmine, and Liam (“the Children,” collectively), as well as the parental rights of Daniel R. (“Father”) to Liam.1 The Children had been removed from Mother and Father’s custody because Mother starved and beat Kenna, Father’s daughter by another mother.2 Father was aware of the abuse but failed to protect Kenna. The Juvenile Court terminated Mother’s and Father’s parental rights on the ground of severe child abuse. Mother and Father appeal. We find, as did the Juvenile Court, that the ground of severe child abuse was proven against Mother and Father by clear and convincing evidence. We find further, as did the Juvenile Court, that clear and convincing evidence supports termination of Mother’s and Father’s parental rights as being in the best interest of the Children. We affirm.

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