16 Children of Jonathan and Allison Schumm

Five children between the ages of 5 and 16 were physically abused by Jonathan Robert Schumm and Allison Nicole Schumm. Jonathan Schumm was a Topeka Councilman, Allison Schumm blogged extensively about their lives, and the Schumms had received an Angels in Adoption award in 2013. They had 4 biological children and 10 adopted children (two sibling groups of 5, adopted in 2008 and 2013), and were fostering 2 additional children when they were arrested. The Schumms’ biological children were homeschooled, and the adopted children were removed from public schools to be homeschooled as soon as their adoptions were finalized.

Between October 7 and October 11, 2015, Jonathan Schumm beat his 12-year-old adopted son, lacerating his eye, then choked him and threatened to kill him. The family had been previously investigated by child protective services in 2013 during their second adoption proceedings after the same boy’s foster family reported bruising on him and abuse of the other children. In her blog, Allison Schumm describes placing her other children with a relative during the CPS investigation so that they could not be questioned. The reports were ruled unfounded. Schumm also describes forcing some of the adopted children (younger than 10 years) to carry heavy burdens across the yard as punishment.

Jonathan Schumm was charged with one count of aggravated battery or child abuse for the 12-year-old and four counts of child endangerment for an incident that took place on October 31. Allison Schumm was charged with the same crimes, though as an accomplice. The children were removed from their home by child protective services.

Date: November 19, 2015
Location: Topeka, Kansas

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