A young lesbian couple from Prince George County, VA are in the midst of a custody battle, with their two-month old son’s biological father.
Just like many other married couples, Maiya and Shauntice Skye wanted to start a family and it seemed as though their dream had become reality.
During a casual conversation with one of her barbershop clients, Maiya expressed her and Shauntice’s desire to have a baby. Coincidently, the client, Jonathan Patton, shared that he too wanted to have a baby, and eventually, the three of them decided to start a family.
"I just kind of looked at it as a blessing. I felt like he was this angel dropping from the sky,” Shauntice said.
Shauntice and Maiya claim they expressed that they wanted to be a blended family, since the donor is also of the LGBTQ community. Initially, all parties agreed to co-parent the child, and the couple drafted a written agreement to make things official. Once the contract had been signed, the insemination was performed at the couple’s home.
Unfortunately, things quickly took a turn for the worse. Once Shauntice became pregnant, Patton’s behavior changed—he refused to pay medical bills and became distant.
According to Maiya, “He was not interested in building a relationship with us for the sake of the baby.”
The couple shares that Patton has yet to meet their son, however, he has recently filed for full custody.
“It’s the craziest thing ever. I would’ve never pictured we would be in this spot,” Shauntice said. "It’s flabbergasting to me that someone would do this to a family who just had a baby two months ago.”
In an interview with News4, Patton’s attorney, Jessica Ornsby, is claiming that the allegations against him are false.
"He was extremely excited about the birth of his child. He was extremely interested and concerned that the child would be born healthy and that mom would be healthy,” Ornsby said. She also shared a photo of a nursery Patton has set up in his home.
Ornsby claims that Patton saw no reason to be present or bond with the couple during Shauntice’s pregnancy.
"Really what it boils down to is that you have this man who is not in a relationship with either of them, has agreed to raise a child together with them, but he’s not romantically involved,” Ornsby said.
Maiya and Shauntrice created a A GoFundMe for legal expenses with the custody battle. In the description of the fundraiser, the couple says Patton alleges he impregnated Shauntice, he is the legal parent of their child, she is an unfit mother and that she lured him into having a baby.
As of October 13, 2021, Shauntice and Maiya are representing themselves in this custody battle. The next custody hearing is scheduled for November.
You can donate to the Skye’s GoFundMe here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/theskyes
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