Couple asks court to return children held in enclosures

Two social workers said they knew about the bed enclosures.
NORWALK, Ohio (AP) -- A couple accused by authorities of putting their 11 adopted children in cages as punishment asked a court Friday to immediately return the children to their custody.
A lawyer for Michael and Sharon Gravelle filed a motion in the juvenile division of Huron County Common Pleas Court requesting the return of the youngsters removed nearly two months ago from the Gravelles' home near Wakeman in a mostly rural area 60 miles southwest of Cleveland.
The motion included a sworn statement from an independent social worker who had worked with the Gravelles over the last five years. She said she not only knew about what she understood to be enclosures but approved of them.
In the motion, Cleveland lawyer Ken Myers argued that removing the children from the Gravelle home and splitting them up has damaged them, in part because the Gravelles' visitation rights are limited. The motion alleges Huron County endangered the children by placing them in foster care, where they had problems with other foster children.
Time involved
Judge Timothy Cardwell asked attorneys for the county to respond by Nov. 14, noting that he expected to rule on the motion soon after that.
A message was left Friday for Erich Dumbeck, director of Huron County Department of Job and Family Services.
Huron County authorities say the Gravelles placed some of the children in cages at night and as punishment during the day. The Gravelles, who have not been charged, have said they adopted children with special needs who potentially could harm themselves.
The motion explained that the social worker knew about the enclosed beds since 2003 and that Michael Gravelle built what law enforcement officials later said were cages. A Huron County social worker inspected the home before a court authorized removal of the children.
According to the motion, the social worker said she "understands the need of the Gravelles to control the mobility of the children and the beds providing safety for the family and security for the children."
A second unidentified social worker who oversaw a home study in 2004 for the most recent adoption also said she knew about the beds, according to the motion. That social worker decided the Gravelles were a good family and kept what she called "cribs" that protected the children.
Description
The Gravelles have said the children's enclosed beds are more like clubhouses meant to keep the youngsters safe. The children have health and behavioral problems such as fetal alcohol syndrome and pica, a disorder in which children eat nonfood items such as rocks or dirt.
A juvenile court hearing on whether the children were abused or neglected is planned for Dec. 6.