Appeals Court Upholds Religious Restrictions As To Children In Divorce Case

In In re the Marriage of Suzanne Paulsen and Timothy Paulsen, (WA App., March 19, 2914), a Washington state appeals court upheld a trial court's parenting plan that was entered along with a decree dissolving the marriage of the Paulsens. Among other restrictions on the father, the appeals court upheld the trial court's award to the mother, Suzanne Paulsen, of sole decision-making power as to the children's religious upbringing.  It also affirmed the trial court's ban on the father, Timothy Paulsen, engaging in prayer or discussion of religious matters with the children.  The religious restrictions, as well as visitation restrictions, were justified by evidence that Timothy, as a junior high school teacher, had sexually abused students, using religion and prayer as a technique to weaken their defenses to his sexual approaches.