BROKEN ARROW, Okla. — Bill and Lisa Woolley of Broken Arrow hope the recent release of the documentary 'Saving Clayton' keeps their story in the public eye.
“We are just going to get louder and louder until someone does something,” said Lisa.
In 2018, the Woolleys were falsely accused of first-degree murder and abuse of their grandson, Elijah. They had legal custody of him as well as his brother, Clayton. Clayton was five years old when his brother died.
Officials placed him in Department of Human Services custody at that time.
Investigators dropped every charge against the Woolleys, but the family cannot get Clayton back. They can't even see him.
“Not one relative has gotten to see him,” said Lisa.
The Woolleys said they've never heard a reason and never had the chance to tell their side of the story to the courts.
Efforts to see Clayton are ignored by the court as court costs mounted.
“It has destroyed us,” said Bill. “I lost all my jobs I had, we lost businesses we had.”
The Woolleys and crowds of other families met at the state capitol last year to address what they called widespread problems with DHS. Officials with the department did not show up to attend the meeting.
Senator Dana Prieto believes DHS makes decisions without due process and hides behind juvenile privacy statutes.
“They don’t want to talk to us or work on the problems,” said Prieto.
Prieto wants to see legislation to expunge DHS records for anyone no longer accused of a crime, like the Wooleys. He believes any change is a tough road due to the stronghold of power when it comes to the agency.
“When I first started looking into this, I was told, ‘Be careful, they’ll start circling the wagon,’” he said.
Glory Woolley, Clayton’s aunt, was 17 when he was taken. She also grew up in the home with her parents, Bill and Lisa. She been fighting for her parents. She believes this is not about helping Clayton but saving face.
“They [authorities] prioritize their stature and authority over a child’s life and well-being,” said Glory.
DHS released this statement:
Oklahoma Human Services is committed to protect the safety and wellbeing of Oklahoma’s children. Every child welfare case is different and the specific details in those cases impact decisions made by the agency, the courts, District Attorneys and others who participate in any case. Additionally, child welfare cases are confidential by state and federal statutes, so we are unable to discuss the facts or circumstances of any child welfare case with anyone who is not authorized by statute or permitted by an order of the court.
You can see the documentary in its entirety here.
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