× Thanks for reading! Log in to continue. Enjoy more articles by logging in or creating a free account. No credit card required. Log in Sign up {{featured_button_text}}

RALEIGH — A Guilford County mother appealed a District Court decision to remove her children from her custody stating that there wasn’t enough evidence to prove they were abused.

Social workers first learned about the children when the mother’s infant son was admitted to Brenner Children’s Hospital with 14 “non-accidental” broken bones, according to court documents.

A three-judge appeals court panel unanimously agreed that the son was abused and neglected but reversed the lower court decision regarding his older sister and ordered that the maternal grandparents be considered for custody.

The Court of Appeals supported the lower court in its decision about the infant, with a caveat. Judge Rick Elmore wrote in his opinion, agreed to by Judges Linda McGee and Mark Davis that the lower court would have to explain why it was not in the best interests of the boy and his older sister to be placed in the custody of the maternal grandparents.

Elmore’s opinion was published on the N.C. Court of Appeals website Tuesday. To protect the privacy of minors, custody hearings are not open to the public and therefore Elmore did not publish the names of the children or their family members.