Arkansas courts can require a paternity test to determine the true identity of a child’s father. The procedure is often ordered in cases where child support is at stake and a putative father denies parenting the child. In cases involving child support, legally establishing parentage compels fathers to take responsibility for their actions.
In a recent incident, a South Dakota school district superintendent was forced to resign after an ex-student filed a paternity lawsuit against him. A judge has ordered him to submit to paternity testing. The ex-student said that she met the superintendent while he was superintendent of her high school, and began a sexual relationship with him after she graduated. As a result, she says she conceived his child.
However, the superintendent denied paternity of the child and refused to submit to a paternity test or take responsibility of the child. The woman’s boyfriend signed the statement of paternity, but says he is not the biological father. The superintendent has not provided any money for medical expenses or financial support since the birth of the child. The lawyer for the woman has asked the judge to order the ex-superindendent’s name be added to the birth certificate and to order him to provide support for the upbringing of the child.
If someone is facing such a dilemma in their personal life, contacting an attorney may be a first step in finding a solution to the problem. Establishing legal paternity of the child will help in obtaining support payments for the upbringing of the child.
Source: Aberdeen news.com, “Superintendent in Miller resigned after ex-student’s paternity claim,” Mar. 19, 2014
