A Wilson County child-court judge has been ordering foreign-born women to learn English for the good of their children — an action that some regard as unconstitutional.
In a case this week, Judge Barry Tatum insisted that an 18-year-old Mexican woman take language classes and consider using birth control.
Tatum said his admonition didn't come out of malice or the urge to Americanize an immigrant. Instead, the judge said he worried that the woman's 2-year-old daughter would miss out on opportunities because of her mother's inability to communicate in English.
''A parent has the right to raise a child the way they see fit, but government gets involved at some point,'' Tatum said. ''I'm concerned about the civil rights of the child and what will happen to her.''
The immigrant woman and her American-born toddler both entered the state's custody in 2003.
A complaint was made to state child protection officials, accusing the mother of neglecting her baby by not following up on immunizations and other shots, said K. Danielle Edwards, a spokeswoman with the state Department of Children's Services.
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