Janet Jenkins and her daughter Isabella are one step closer to being reunited. The Virginia Supreme Court rejected an appeal by Isabella’s biological mother attempting to end Jenkins’ role as a parent a role that the Vermont Supreme Court recognized last year.
It’s been nearly three years since Janet Jenkins began her fight to keep her relationship with her daughter, Isabella. But she’s now one step closer to a reunion. The Virginia Supreme Court has rejected an appeal for sole custody by her ex-partner.
Jenkins and her former civil union partner, Lisa Miller, had raised a daughter together in Vermont. After their relationship ended, a Vermont court dissolved their civil union and awarded visitation rights to Jenkins. Miller then filed a different lawsuit in Virginia and successfully used that state’s antigay constitutional amendment to have the lower court declare her the sole parent.
The conflicting court orders ultimately led to a decision from the Virginia Court of Appeals that recognized Jenkins’ parental status. The court rightly recognized that federal law protects parents against shopping around for a court to give them sole custody. It also reaffirmed the fact that Jenkins is a parent to Isabella. By rejecting Miller’s appeal, the Virginia Supreme Court let that ruling stand.
The case is Miller-Jenkins v. Miller-Jenkins.