Sperm Donor Loses Suit for Parental Rights
A sperm donor who wants a relationship with his children has failed to overturn a Kansas law that bars parental rights absent a written agreement.
The Kansas Supreme Court ruled the law did not violate state or federal constitutional due process and equal protection provisions, the Topeka Capital-Journal reports.
Daryl Hendrix of Topeka claimed he had an oral agreement with his twins’ mother, lawyer Samantha Harrington, to share custody, the newspaper says. He claims Harrington had assured him a written contract was not needed, an assertion she disputes. She says she never intended to share custody.
Twenty-one family law experts submitted amicus briefs supporting the law, while one filed a brief supporting Hendrix, the Kansas City Star reports. The sole Hendrix supporter, Linda Henry Elrod, wrote a brief for the Washburn University School of Law Children and Family Law Center. She said a better state law would require sperm donors to sign contracts waiving parental rights.
A hat tip to How Appealing, which posted the stories.
