Erica Moore opened her fifteen year-old son’s bedroom door and was shocked by what she witnessed. Instead of being alone, she discovered him having sex with her 18 year-old cousin. Moore due to her religious believes, does not condone homosexuality and began to beat her son with an electrical cord, the cousin hastily ran out.
In an interview with CBSDFW, Moore readily acknowledges she gave her son a “whooping” with the cord. She reportedly felt shocked and disgusted by the discovery. It became a police matter when her son’s grandmother took him to the hospital for treatment for what the police describe as marks, some of which were bleeding, on his thighs, forearms and hands.
Following an investigation by Child Protective Services Moore was arrested and charged with assault with bodily injury to a family member. She is facing prison if she is convicted in Tarrant County.
Rev. Kyev Tatum, the president of the Texas Southern Christian Leadership Conference (TSCLC) is denouncing the arrest and believes the district attorney (DA) should drop the charges against Moore who was disciplining her son for having sex in her house. According to Moore if she discovered her underage daughter was having sex with an adult in her home, her reaction would have been the same.
“I have known Sister Erica for many years and she did what we teach every good God fearing mother should do when their children disobey there rules, values and standards. Texas Penal Code 9.61 gives her the legal rights and the Holy Bible gives her the religious rights to discipline her child the best way she knows how.
My mother beat me and my siblings many time with an electrical cord to help get my behavior under control. It did not kill me, it made me a better man. This is a discipline method that has withstood the test of time in the Black Church. This form of discipline has been part of the African-American community for many years and we do not believe the people who use tasers on people should not be judging mothers who are trying to keep their children out of jail.
We will always support parental rights and we will never support gay rights. The Forest Hills Police officials have engaged in subterfuge and did not use good judgment on this case.” says Rev. Tatum.
“We encourage the DA to drop these false charges under Texas Penal Code 9.61 and charge the real criminal, the 18 year old who violate the child sexually, with statutory rape,” says Rev. Tatum said via a statement sent to the media.
In her interview Moore indicated the arresting police officer stated he would have likely shot the man if he found him with his child. However, when you discipline a child and it leaves marks that is violates the law and so he was forced to arrest her.
On March 7, KRLD updated their March 4 story with comments from Chief Dan Dennis with the Forest Hill Police Department’s denial that such a conversation took place. Dennis indicates the conversation was recorded and the officer’s conduct was professional.
When the North Dallas Gazette requested a response from Rev. Tatum to this update he replied with a statement via email.
“The mother said the officer is lying and that she would commit to a polygraph test. The 18 year old is a “gay predator” and the authorities have been derelict in their duty in an effort to put a determined mother who wants to rear her children using Godly principal. They have allowed gay predators to run free within the black community. Time out! Enough is enough.”
