Hildreth v. Iowa Department of Human Services

CARTER, Justice.

The issue on this appeal is whether the Iowa Department of Human Services (the agency) correctly determined that petitioner, Tracey Hildreth, was guilty of child abuse as a result of spanking his eight-year-old daughter with a wooden spoon. The evidentiary facts are not disputed, but there is a dispute as to whether the facts support a finding of child abuse under the controlling statutes and administrative regulations. Petitioner also asserts that the agency’s action, if approved, infringes upon his right to exercise his religious beliefs in violation of the First Amendment…