Lily Everett (left) and her mother, Megan Everett (right)
A South Florida woman is in hot water after taking her two-year-old daughter out of state rather than turn her over to the girl's father, as per a custody agreement. Why? Apparently the woman didn't like the prospect of her daughter
being vaccinated or learning about black history in preschool.
Megan Elizabeth Everett, 22, was last seen on May 6, when Robert Baumann dropped off their daughter, Lilly, in compliance with a shared custody agreement. Lilly was supposed to be returned to Baumann a week later, but Everett never showed up.
According to court records, Everett left a note for Baumann vaguely explaining her actions.
"You are a great dad," she wrote, with the word "great" underlined. "If I let them take her and vaccinate her and brainwash her, I wouldn't be doing what's right. I cannot let a judge tell me how my daughter should be raised. We will miss you. But I had to leave."
The child was the subject of a custody battle that appeared to be resolved in April, when Broward Circuit Judge Steven Feren granted each side 50 percent custody. Lilly was to alternate between each parent's home, with the exchange taking place every Tuesday, said Baumann's lawyer, Donna Goldman.
[snip]
"One of the issues we had was, she wanted to home-school my daughter," said Baumann. "I didn't want that to happen. She didn't want Lilly to learn about black history. She just wanted her to learn about the Confederacy."
Baumann had planned to have his daughter receive vaccinations the next time he had custody, and also planned to enroll her in preschool.
"She found this new idea that vaccines are horrible," Baumann said. "I think she wanted to keep her from being vaccinated because that would keep her out of day care."
Apparently Everett had her head turned by the ideas of Carlos Lesters, who has been her boyfriend since Lily was eight years old. Court papers describe Lesters as a "Confederate flag-waving gun enthusiast."
According to WTVJ in Miami, when Baumann went to pick up Lily at Lesters' house on May 13 he found Lesters waiting for him. Lesters handed Baumann the note, told him Everett was gone for good, and slammed the door in his face. Lesters later told police that Everett was willing to live as a fugitive to be free of Baumann.
Everett was already wanted on state charges of custodial kidnapping, interference with court-ordered custody, and concealing a minor contrary to a court order. The FBI got involved a week later due to suspicions that Everett may have fled the state; Lesters has family in Georgia, Virginia and Kentucky. On Friday, she was arraigned on federal charges of flight across state lines to avoid prosecution. A tipster thinks that Megan could be with Lesters' family in Georgia and Virginia. Lesters also has family in Kentucky. Despite this, Lesters hasn't been charged--yet.
Everett's family is siding with Baumann 100 percent. Her own mother, Pam, says that given her youngest daughter's state of mind, Lily is better off with Baumann. Her older sister Stephanie is also siding with Baumann, citing Megan's "unsafe parenting decisions." Among other things, they posted pictures of her playing with ammo, and Lesters carries a gun on him throughout the day. A judge actually warned Everett and Lesters to be more careful with Lily when it came to weapons.
Baumann and the Everetts have started a Facebook group to draw more attention to their cause called "Bring Lily Home." According to a pinned post in that group, Everett has family in North Carolina, and may very well still be Florida. So if you're in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia or Kentucky, be on the lookout.