TURNER, Ore. — Members of their congregation say they were surprised at the arrest of two parents on charges of mistreatment of their nine children.
Robyn and Graydon Drown were taken into custody on Thursday. Officers say that state officials and an anonymous tipster reported physical abuse and neglect.
President Francine Shetterly of Temple Beth Sholom in South Salem says the large family stood out because of the members’ traditional lifestyle and religious observance.
But she says the children were respectful and well-behaved.
“I was not really suspicious or concerned, especially after I got to know them,” Shetterly said. “The kids seemed to be really well-adjusted and happy.”
Shetterly said the children received a home-school education and attended the temple’s religious and Hebrew classes. Graydon Drown did handyman work at the temple.
State officials say the children range in age from 6 weeks to 16 years and have been placed in four foster homes.
Siblings of similar ages were placed together, said Greg Parker, a spokesman for the Oregon Department of Human Services. Parker said each of the children would undergo a medical examination.
State officials have not released details about the allegations.
The Drown family lived in a rural area south of Salem. On the property were a manufactured home, a chicken coop and a small garden.
Marguerite Montesano, a neighbor, said the children were well-behaved and pleasant, but she suspected that they did not regularly see a doctor or a dentist. ‘The children were always clean and cheerful,” she said.
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