GOVERNOR’S TASK FORCE ON CHILDREN AT RISK
Idaho Child Fatality Review Team report for 2012 re religious exemptions – published 4/2015 – See full report here
Task Force letter to Governor Otter re religious exemptions – 7/1/2015
A TALE OF TWO STATES: OREGON & IDAHO
An edited podcast interview with Rita Swan, founder and president of Children’s Healthcare Is a Legal Duty (CHILD), on the two states’ conflicting approaches to child medical neglect. The full one-hour interview can be heard at deism.com.
NEWS & COMMENTARY
“Faith-Based Medical Neglect: for Providers and Policymakers” – Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma, 10/9/2020
13 deaths of Idaho children tied to faith-based medical neglect – Lewiston Tribune 2/17/2020
Idaho Statesman Editorial Board: Religious belief should never excuse any form of child abuse or neglect – Idaho Statesman 7/24/2018
Idaho faith healer charged with child sexual abuse; religious beliefs prevented abuse reporting – Idaho Press 7/19/2018
Son and granddaughter of Followers’ founder tell church members to get medical care for children – OregonLive.com 7/15/2018
Oregon parents plead guilty in baby’s death, urge fellow church members to get medical care – KOIN TV 7/9/2018
Idaho could protect kids in anti-medical sects – Idaho Statesman 4/24/2018
Coffin-carrying protestors march on Idaho Capitol – Idaho Statesman 2/19/2018
Idahoans protest faith-healing exemptions – Idaho Press 2/19/2018
Idaho lets kids die when parents have religious beliefs against medical care – High Country News 1/8/2018
Former ID Supreme Court Justice: “Children of faith healers have a right to life and medical care” – Coeur d’Alene Press 11/22/2017
The battle against religious-based exemptions from civil or criminal liability in Idaho will continue in 2018 – BoiseWeekly.com 11/15/2017
Idaho–worst in the nation – CHILD Newsletter 2017
Canyon County Sheriff Donahue not about to be quiet about deaths of children in Followers of Christ sect – Coeur d’Alene Press 5/24/2017
Idaho faith deaths continue, coroner and legislature prevent investigation – Los Angeles Times 4/18/2017
Retired Idaho Supreme Court Chief Justice endorses repeal of faith-healing exemptions – IdahoPress.com 2/24/2017
Full page “Open Letter to the Legislators of Idaho” – Idaho Statesman 2/20/2017
Canyon County Sheriff urging lawmakers to make change to faith healing laws in Idaho – KIVItv.com 2/3/2017
Idaho’s religious shield law and tragic child deaths – Sandpoint Reader 11/17/2016
Idaho city government holds forum on deaths in anti-medical sects – Moscow Human Rights Commission 10/25/2016
Trust God but tie up your camel – Post Register 8/14/2016
Religious freedom or medical neglect? Idaho lawmakers take up faith-healing exemption – Idaho Statesman 7/29/2016
Letting them die: parents refuse medical help for children in the name of Christ – TheGuardian.com 4/13/2016
Child deaths in Idaho bring urgency to debate over faith healers – MagicValley.com 1/22/2016
Faith-healer parents who let their children die should go to jail – Newrepublic.com 3/2/2015
Intent behind Idaho parental rights bill questioned – Idahopress.com 3/1/2015
GOP lawmaker: It’s OK for children to die in the name of God – Salon.com 2/25/2015
How to Craft a Religious Exemption Regime Guaranteed to Be Dangerous for Children: The Case of Idaho – Justia.com 2/19/2015
Idaho’s faith-healing debate pits child welfare against parental rights 2/22/2015
“Faith over Medicine”, a CNN video report on child faith-deaths among the Idaho Followers of Christ 1/19/2015
Oregon Church of the Firstborn parents get 10-year sentences in the death of their 12-year-old daughter – KOIN.com 12/17/2014
Why does God kill so many children in Idaho? – Vocative.com 11/17/2014
Bill introduced to modify faith-healing exemption in Idaho’s injury-to-a-child crime laws – MagicValley.com 2/7/2014
Idaho legislator champions bill to curb faith-deaths of children – IdahoPress.com 1/16/2014
Followers of Christ in Idaho: At least ten more child deaths uncovered – KATU.com 11/7/2013
(See also Part 2 of the investigation.
Two Idaho children die in faith-healing sect; religious exemption prevents prosecution – KATU.com 11/15/2011
USEFUL WEB SITES
Children’s Healthcare Is a Legal Duty (CHILD)
Child-Friendly Faith Project/Project Idaho
Associated Jehovah’s Witnesses for Reform on Blood
RECOMMENDED READING
In the Name of God by Cameron Stauth. St. Martin’s Press, New York, 2013
Bad Faith by Paul Offit. Basic Books, New York, 2015.
The Child Cases: How America’s Religious Exemption Laws Harm Children by Alan Rogers. Amherst & Boston: University of Massachusetts Press, 2014.
“Faith-Healing Deaths,” a series in the Oregonian, 1998-2009.
God vs. the Gavel: The Perils of Extreme Religious Liberty, 2nd edition by Marci Hamilton. Cambridge University Press, 2014