Connect with us

Southeast

Kentucky teacher adopts his student and the boy's three siblings: 'Our lives are complete'

Published

on

Kentucky teacher adopts his student and the boy's three siblings: 'Our lives are complete'

Join Fox News for access to this content

Plus special access to select articles and other premium content with your account – free of charge.

By entering your email and pushing continue, you are agreeing to Fox News’ Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, which includes our Notice of Financial Incentive.

Please enter a valid email address.

Having trouble? Click here.

As a Kentucky teacher counts the new students who will be entering his classroom this fall, he’s also counting his blessings, which includes the thriving family of six that became his when he adopted a student and his siblings.

“Our lives are complete,” Justin Padgett of Danville, Kentucky, told Fox News Digital. 

Advertisement

“We have left it all up to God to put us where we need to be at the right time. I feel fulfilled.”

KENTUCKY COUPLE ADOPTS BABY SURRENDERED AT FIRE STATION: ‘GOD’S HAND IS ABSOLUTELY IN THIS’

The journey began during the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring of 2021. 

Padgett, who was teaching fifth grade at Highland Elementary School in Lincoln County, Kentucky, was finally able to teach his students in person during the final nine weeks of school.

A judge makes it official: Kasey Padgett (second from left) and Justin Padgett (far right) officially adopted their children Jayden, Hailey, Alexis and Jase in March 2022. (Kasey Padgett)

Advertisement

One of his students, Jayden, had fallen behind on some of his schoolwork — as many kids did during COVID.

“I was helping tutor him, one-on-one with reading and social studies,” Padgett said. 

“We were just trying to help support his academics. That’s when he called me over to his computer one day and just said, ‘I have to be adopted.’”

COUPLE ADOPTS FLORIDA BABY WHO WAS ABANDONED IN THE WOODS ABOUT AN HOUR AFTER HER BIRTH

The boy had typed the same words on his computer — so Padgett pulled him into the hall to talk. 

Advertisement

The fifth grader said that his current foster parents couldn’t adopt him — and his three siblings — and that his birth family had lost their rights. 

The Padgett family gets dressed up for Halloween in Waynesburg, Kentucky. (Kasey Padgett)

So he and his siblings had to be adopted, he said — and he hoped it could be done by his teacher.

FLORIDA FIREFIGHTER ADOPTS BABY ANONYMOUSLY DROPPED OFF AT SAFE HAVEN: ‘GIFT FROM GOD’

“He was nice to me, and he always helps me,” Jayden himself told Fox News Digital. 

Advertisement

“He was a really loving person, so I just wanted him to love me and my family.”

Padgett called Kayden’s foster mom — then went home to speak with his wife, Kasey.

“We love telling our story. It’s a blessing to us to be able to share and to see the response that people have toward us.”

— Justin Padgett

“I said, ‘Hey, I’ve got a kiddo in my class that needs to be adopted, and he’s got three siblings,” Padgett said. 

“I asked her, ‘What are your thoughts about that? How would you feel about that?’”

Advertisement

ARKANSAS PARENTS ADOPT BOY WHO LIVED IN 25 FOSTER HOMES

The couple, who married in 2018, had been hoping for a child of their own.

But “that just wasn’t in the cards for us,” Kasey Padgett said. 

She desperately wanted to be a mom, but the doctors told her to give it time.

The Padgett family is pictured during a trip to Gatlinburg, Tennessee. (Kasey Padgett)

Advertisement

“I really started praying about it,” Kasey Padgett said.

“I thought, ‘There’s got to be a way,’” she added. “I have a couple of friends and family members who are foster parents, and they kept encouraging us and telling us we would be great foster parents.”

LAS VEGAS MAN INTRODUCES SON TO FIREFIGHTER WHO SAVED THE DAD’S LIFE 23 YEARS AGO: ‘MY HERO’

The couple started classes to prepare them for fostering a child. 

They were near the end of their training and waiting for a home study when Jayden made his plea.

Advertisement

“I really started praying about it.”

— Kasey Padgett

“That really expedited [things],” Justin Padgett said.

In April 2021, they began the process. 

Keeping the 4 siblings together

“The kids were part of a program called Wendy’s Wonderful Kids,” Justin Padgett said of The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, a national nonprofit dedicated to finding families for the 108,000-plus children waiting to be adopted from foster care in the U.S.

The foundation played a big role in keeping the four siblings together.

Advertisement

NYPD OFFICER MEETS RETIRED DETECTIVES WHO SAVED HER FROM A BURNING CAR NEARLY 30 YEARS AGO

“We started making connections with their social worker and she kind of vetted us to make sure we knew what we were signing up for. And then we started [the] visits.”

The Padgetts started by taking the kids — Jayden, Hailey, Alexis and Jase — to church, where they served as youth leaders. 

“We started picking them up in the church van,” Justin Padgett said, “and they started going to church with us.” 

The Padgett family has a lot of travel firsts they’re hoping to cross off their bucket list. Recently, they visited Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. (Kasey Padgett)

Advertisement

The Padgetts did not share with the kids that they might be adopted.

“Life can happen, and, you know, we could back out or something could change in the court system,” said Justin Padgett. “They ended up finding out, but we were already having weekend visits at that point and getting their rooms ready.”

NATIONAL ADOPTION MONTH – HERE’S HOW TO CONNECT CHILDREN IN NEED WITH FOREVER FAMILIES

At the end of July 2021, the kids moved in with their new foster family. 

“I really liked it because we didn’t have to get split up and be with someone else,” Alexis, 12, told Fox News Digital.

Advertisement

The Padgetts lived in a small farmhouse when it was just the two of them. So they moved into a three-bedroom house — which they quickly outgrew. 

For more Lifestyle articles, visit www.foxnews.com/lifestyle

The family has since moved to Danville, where Justin Padgett now works for the Kentucky School for the Deaf. 

The family of six stopped at the Gettysburg National Military Park while visiting Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. (Kasey Padgett)

The adoption became official on March 3, 2022.

Advertisement

“We’re very religious, so we’ve seen them spiritually grow, which has been amazing for us. They’ve grown so much,” said Justin Padgett.

The parents said they hope people will think of teenage kids — not just little ones — when considering adoption. 

“At that age, they’ve been through so much trauma — being removed from their home, going through foster care — that they really need special love and attention,” Kasey Padgett said. 

“It’s not all sunshine or rainbows, but we persevere through the hard times and we work together.”

— Justin Padgett

Advertisement

“And they are going to need resources for mental health, as well as guidance and assistance getting into college or trade school or wherever they go in life,” she added.

Kasey Padgett said she and her husband are considering trying to have a child naturally, or adopting another child.

“The doors are open for whatever God has for us,” she said.

Justin Padgett and his wife quickly became a family of six. They said they hope their story encourages someone else to consider fostering or adoption. (Kasey Padgett)

The Padgetts said they hope their story encourages someone else to consider fostering or adoption — even a teacher.

Advertisement

“It’s a calling. You are in place of the parent when [the kids are] at school. You’re in charge of keeping them safe, and there are those bonds and connections that form,” said Justin Padgett. 

“It’s very easy for a teacher to segue into being in charge of a kid at school and then possibly being able to take them into foster care or adoption.”

Read the full article from Here

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Southeast

Atlanta-area police blast parents over vodka martini packed in school lunch: ‘That is NOT apple juice’

Published

on

Atlanta-area police blast parents over vodka martini packed in school lunch: ‘That is NOT apple juice’

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

An Atlanta-area police department issued a blunt notice to parents after officers claimed a child brought a vodka-based beverage to school — tucked beside Doritos in a packed lunch.

Advertisement

The City of South Fulton Police Department sounded off about the incident in a now-viral Facebook post, warning parents to “CHECK. THE. LUNCHBOX.”

“Say Twin… Before you send them babies off to school… CHECK. THE. LUNCHBOX. Because why are we getting reports of juice boxes sitting next to… Cutwater margaritas??” the department wrote.

Officials also shared a photo of the alleged lunchbox, containing what appears to be a child’s lunch, Doritos and a Cutwater Lemon Drop Martini.

The police department shared a photo of a Cutwater canned cocktail in a lunchbox. (City of South Fulton Police Department via Facebook)

“That is NOT Capri Sun. That is NOT Apple Juice. That is a whole ‘Parent had a long night’ starter pack,” the department wrote. “Now little Johnny done pulled up to 3rd period talking about: ‘Who want fruit snacks?’ knowing good and well he got a Lemon Drop Martini in the zipper pocket.”

Advertisement

Cutwater Lemon Drop Martinis, as found in the lunchbox, are 11% ABV ready-to-drink cocktails made with vodka, triple sec, lemon juice and natural flavors.

They come in 12-ounce cans, similar in appearance to a soda can.

The City of South Fulton Police Department issued a statement after the apparent mishap. (City of South Fulton Police Department via Facebook)

CALIFORNIA ‘PARTY MOM’ ACCUSED OF GROOMING VICTIMS FOR SEX, DRINKING IN RITZY MANSION, TEENS TESTIFY AT TRIAL

The department said it understands mornings can be hectic, but issued a stern notice to parents to “TIGHTEN UP.”

Advertisement

“Your child shouldn’t be the only one in the cafeteria with a beverage that requires an ID,” authorities wrote. “If it says 12% ABV… it does NOT belong next to a PB&J.”

Officials also provided a “quick parent checklist,” with items including: “Homework,” “Lunch packed,” and “Alcoholic beverages.”

Boxes of Cutwater Tiki Rum Mai Tai and Strawberry Margarita canned cocktails. (Gado/Getty Images)

“Check the lunchbox before the Fulton County Schools Police resource officers gotta do inventory at recess,” the department added.

It is unclear if any parents or students were disciplined in relation to the mix-up.

Advertisement

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Fulton County Schools did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

The City of South Fulton, Georgia, is a rapidly growing municipality located about 20 minutes from Atlanta and Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

Related Article

Woman allegedly steals bus from elementary school parking lot, goes on late night ride

Read the full article from Here

Continue Reading

Southeast

Federal prosecutor admits ‘extraordinary’ timing in Abrego Garcia smuggling case charges

Published

on

Federal prosecutor admits ‘extraordinary’ timing in Abrego Garcia smuggling case charges

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

A federal prosecutor acknowledged Thursday that the decision to charge Salvadoran migrant Kilmar Abrego Garcia two years after a routine traffic stop was “extraordinary” while defending the human smuggling case as legally justified.

Abrego Garcia, 31, has become a flash point in the national immigration debate since last March, when he was deported to El Salvador in violation of a 2019 court order in what Trump administration officials acknowledged was an “administrative error.” 

The Supreme Court later ruled that the administration had to work to bring him back to the U.S.

After returning in June, Abrego Garcia was taken into federal custody in Nashville and detained on human smuggling charges stemming from a 2022 traffic stop in Tennessee.

Advertisement

He has pleaded not guilty and is seeking dismissal of the charges on the grounds of vindictive and selective prosecution.

Kilmar Abrego Garcia and his wife Jennifer Vasquez Sura, left, are accompanied by Lydia Walther-Rodriguez, right, of We Are Casa, as they leave the federal courthouse, Thursday, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

A 2019 court order prevents Abrego Garcia from being deported to El Salvador after an immigration judge determined he faced danger from a gang that had threatened his family. He immigrated to the U.S. illegally as a teenager and has been under the supervision of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). 

Abrego Garcia was accused in court records of repeated domestic violence against his wife, who alleged multiple incidents of physical abuse in protective order filings. She later withdrew the protective order request and has defended her husband publicly. 

The Department of Homeland Security has also said he was living in the U.S. illegally and has alleged ties to MS-13, disputing portrayals of him as simply a “Maryland man.” His attorneys have denied the gang allegations.

Advertisement

Tennessee Highway Patrol body camera footage from when Abrego Garcia was pulled over for speeding shows a calm exchange with officers. While officers discussed suspicions of smuggling among themselves — noting there were nine passengers in the vehicle — Abrego Garcia was issued only a warning.

TENNESSEE BODYCAM OF ‘MARYLAND MAN’ TRAFFIC STOP SHOWS TROOPERS’ HANDS TIED DESPITE SMUGGLING CLUES

A woman holds a sign in support of Kilmar Abrego Garcia in front of the U.S. District Court in Nashville. (Getty Images )

First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee Rob McGuire, who was acting U.S. attorney in April 2025, testified Thursday that his decision to charge Abrego Garcia was based on the evidence.

“I had previously prosecuted several human smuggling cases,” McGuire said, noting that after seeing video of the traffic stop, “I was immediately struck by how similar what was being depicted in the body cam was to those investigations.”

Advertisement

McGuire said Abrego Garcia’s vehicle belonged to someone with “a human smuggling background” and added that the route was “suspicious.”

“It was a large number of individuals traveling in one SUV with a driver who spoke for the group. No one had luggage… the car had Texas plates… the route was suspicious,” McGuire said.

DEM JUDGE IN HOT SEAT AFTER DHS EXPOSES ‘WHOLE NEW LEVEL’ OF ACTIVISM, SHELTERING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT

Kilmar Abrego Garcia arrived at the federal courthouse, Thursday, for a hearing on whether the charges against him should be dismissed. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

During cross-examination, McGuire acknowledged that the timing of the charges, coming so long after the traffic stop, was “extraordinary.”

Advertisement

He said he had not previously been aware of the traffic stop but reiterated that nobody in the Trump administration, including the White House or the Department of Justice, pressured him to seek the indictment.

When asked about whether he might have felt pressure to prosecute the case, McGuire said, “I’m not going to do something that is wrong to keep my job.”

DHS OFFICIAL RIPS KILMAR ABREGO GARCIA FOR ‘MAKING TIKTOKS’ WHILE AGENCY FACES GAG ORDER

Kilmar Abrego Garcia, right, and his brother Cesar Abrego Garcia, center, arrive at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office in Baltimore, Aug. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

McGuire also said timing factored into charging Abrego Garcia since he was being held in El Salvador, and he did not want the indictment to go public before all senior officials were briefed on the matter.

Advertisement

“I knew from the get-go that this was going to be a controversial matter,” McGuire said.

U.S. District Judge Waverly D. Crenshaw did not make a ruling Thursday and said he would wait to receive post-hearing briefs from attorneys by March 5 before determining whether another hearing is necessary.

Crenshaw previously found some evidence that the prosecution “may be vindictive” and that prior statements by Trump administration officials “raise cause for concern.”

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Thursday’s court appearance came after a federal judge blocked the Trump administration from re-arresting Abrego Garcia into federal immigration custody on Feb. 17.

Advertisement

Fox News Digital’s Breanne Deppisch, Jake Gibson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Related Article

Judge orders migrant deported in 'error' free from ICE custody with criminal case looming

Read the full article from Here

Continue Reading

Southeast

GOP Rep Nancy Mace introduces ‘Death Penalty for Child Rapists Act’

Published

on

GOP Rep Nancy Mace introduces ‘Death Penalty for Child Rapists Act’

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., has introduced a bill to authorize the death penalty as a potential punishment for the sexual abuse of children.

“We have zero mercy for child rapists. Those who prey on our most vulnerable deserve the harshest consequence we can deliver,” Mace said in a statement.

The proposal is aptly called the “Death Penalty for Child Rapists Act.”

Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., announces she will run for South Carolina governor during a press conference at the Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina, on Aug. 4, 2025. (Tracy Glantz/The State/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

Advertisement

“No predator should be allowed to walk away from the most unthinkable crimes against children,” Mace noted. 

“This bill is simple. Rape a child and you don’t get a second chance, you get the death penalty. We will never apologize for protecting America’s children,” Mace added.

The bill would put capital punishment on the table as an option to punish those who sexually abuse children.

REP NANCY MACE SLAPS DOWN EARLY RETIREMENT RUMOR: ‘BIG FAT NO FROM ME’

Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., attends the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington, D.C.  (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Advertisement

“INTRODUCING: The Death Penalty for Child Rapists Act to amend Title 18 to authorize the death penalty for aggravated sexual abuse, sexual abuse of a minor and abusive sexual contact offenses against children. It will also amend the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) to authorize the death penalty for the rape of a child,” she said in a post on X.

“We’ve spent months fighting to expose Jeffrey Epstein’s network of powerful predators. We’ve demanded accountability and pushed for transparency. Now we’re making sure anyone who rapes a child faces the ultimate consequence,” she noted.

Mace has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since early 2021. 

NANCY MACE CLAIMS NANCY PELOSI ‘WAS A MORE EFFECTIVE HOUSE SPEAKER THAN ANY REPUBLICAN THIS CENTURY’

She is one of the candidates currently running in the South Carolina Republican gubernatorial primary.

Advertisement

Related Article

Nancy Mace proposes bill to make aliens deportable, inadmissible for animal cruelty

Read the full article from Here

Continue Reading

Trending