In Re Sawyer B.

Syllabus

This appeal concerns termination of parental rights. John W. and Kelli W. (\Petitioners\) filed a petition in the Chancery Court for Knox County (\the Trial Court\) against Crystal B. (\Mother\) seeking to terminate Mother's parental rights to her minor daughter, Sawyer B. (\the Child\). The juvenile court previously found that Mother committed severe child abuse by failing to protect the Child's half-sibling from abuse by John B., a man Mother lived with. Mother did not appeal the juvenile court's finding. After a hearing, the Trial Court entered an order terminating Mother's parental rights on the ground of severe child abuse. Mother appeals, arguing among other things that she left John B. as soon as she could, although she remained with him for months after the termination petition was filed and continued to contact him. We find, as did the Trial Court, that the ground of severe child abuse was proven against Mother by clear and convincing evidence. We find further by clear and convincing evidence, as did the Trial Court, that termination of Mother's parental rights is in the Child's best interest. We affirm.