An Oklahoma judge has ruled that Kris Williams has no parental rights over the son she raised for two years with her estranged wife, Rebekah Wilson, who has since started dating the former couple’s sperm donor, Harlan Vaughn. Williams and Wilson were legally married in June 2019, and were both initially listed on the boy’s birth certificate when Wilson gave birth to him in August 2019. The boy, referred to as W.R.W.W. in the judge’s ruling, was conceived using Vaughn’s sperm, with whom Wilson entered a “Known Sperm Donor Agreement” in September 2018.
The couple split in November 2021, and Wilson moved in with Vaughn shortly afterward. Although Williams was on the child’s birth certificate, she did not adopt him before she split with Wilson and has not seen him since November 23, 2021. In her decision, Oklahoma County District Judge Lynne McGuire wrote that “the law provides a legal remedy available to Williams,” referring to adoption, but “she knowingly chose not to pursue it.” McGuire ruled that Wilson and Vaughn, who have since had a second biological child together, are the “legal parents” of W.R.W.W.
Some legal experts and LGBTQ activists see the verdict as a cautionary tale for other LGBTQ families. In Oklahoma, as in many other states, married couples are presumed parents of children born within the marriage. However, McGuire ruled that because the state’s parentage act predates the legalization of same-sex marriage in the state, it did not apply in Williams’ case. Williams’ attorney, Robyn Hopkins, argues that the ruling puts the burden of adoption on same-sex couples, while exempting heterosexual couples of the same responsibility. Hopkins said that she and Williams will appeal the ruling to the Oklahoma Supreme Court.
In a statement to NBC affiliate KFOR, Vaughn said that he and Wilson are “grateful for the court’s validation” and are “focused exclusively on our child’s protection and well-being.” Williams told KFOR that she was “in shock” by the judge’s ruling, adding, “Why? Just why?”
