AFA of PA ACTION ALERT
July 10, 2019
Issue
It’s Philip’s Birthday!
Details
Remember the story of Lisa Miller and her daughter Isabella?
Vermont was one of the first states to legalize “civil unions” for same-sex couples. Lisa was living in Vermont as a lesbian with her partner Janet Jenkins. They were joined in a civil union in 2000. Two years later, Lisa gave birth to Isabella, conceived through artificial insemination. Miller and Jenkins split in 2003. Lisa became a Christian and moved to Virginia.
Even though Jenkins had no parental rights (her name does not appear on Isabella’s birth certificate nor did she adopt her), had no biological relationship and had shown no motherly interest in Isabella, a liberal Vermont judge named Jenkins as Isabella’s “other mother” and ordered Lisa to hand Isabella over to Jenkins for unsupervised visitation. Each time Lisa did this Isabella came back to Virginia traumatized, complaining of being required to bathe with Jenkins while Jenkins was naked and the child began openly masturbating following visits with Jenkins, something she had never done before. Yet the judge refused to permit expert testimony affirming Isabella’s psychological trauma and would not rescind the visitation order.
In September 2009 Lisa decided to protect Isabella by fleeing the country. She was able to do this with the help of US and Canadian Mennonites and reportedly was with Mennonites in Nicaragua for several month. Their location is currently unknown. After Lisa and Isabella’s flight, the Obama administration decided to get involved alleging “international parental kidnapping,” even though Lisa had full custody of Isabella and had legal passports.
Several US Mennonites have already served prison terms for their involvement and 61-year-old Virginia businessman Philip Zodhiates began serving his three-year sentence on December 5, 2018. He was convicted of “international parental kidnapping” by driving Lisa and Isabella to the Canadian border in 2009. All requests to have him serve his term in a facility nearer his home were denied and he is currently in a federal prison in Ashland, Kentucky.
Action Steps
July 17 is Philip’s birthday and there’s a
big push to have him inundated with birthday messages. Would you consider sending him a simple Happy
Birthday note?
Remember there are special guidelines in order for the birthday message to actually
reach him in prison:
No actual cards are allowed. It must be on white paper in a white envelope,
black or blue ink and no labels used.
A simple “HAPPY BIRTHDAY” will do.
Mr. Philip Zodhiates 18649-084
FCI Ashland
Federal Correctional Institution
P.O. Box 6001
Ashland, KY 41105
You can also send a note of encouragement to his wife who has had trouble sleeping since Philip’s imprisonment and to his son William, who is now tasked with running the family business.
Mrs. Kathie Zodhiates and William
PO Box 1842
Waynesboro, VA 22980
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