The FLDS Ranch: The Untold Story of a CPS Agent - Part 1 

As a historian, it’s always important to take events from multiple prospectives. This is a great perspective

Fellow-former TX DFPS caseworker assistant during this case too and I’m glad this conversation was had!

Both my parents worked this case (CPS and to DPS) It was such a crazy time in our lives. There was so much grief all around.

I did a student internship with the DPS in TX many years ago. I did abuse and neglect investigations. This had to be so difficult for the investigators, the mom's and the kids. Thank you for providing this interview Melissa and Sam and for agreeing to be interviewed Shannon! I am anxious to hear the rest of the story!

I love all your interviews but this is my favorite by far, Shannon was so respectful when talking about what she encountered and you can tell how genuinely she wanted to help and do her job right.

This was incredibly interesting, I think you guys are always doing such a good job of getting everyone's perspective

I have so much respect for the work that cps does and goes through to keep kids safe. Do they get it right every time? No, of course not. But of course, it’s always super easy to say “they should have done….” AFTER we know all the facts and as we are sitting in the safety of our own homes. In the moment-those highly-charged moments full of emotion and physical danger, these decisions would be so difficult, and sometimes I’m betting there is just no way to make these removal decisions without causing some form of trauma (though it’s nothing compared to the trauma the kids would face with years in an abusive home). They do the difficult work of saving kids from horrible situations-and in doing so, putting themselves through a lot, both from a safety and an emotional standpoint. Fantastic interview, and I really want to thank this agent for putting herself out there despite the fact that some of it is difficult to talk about. To all three of you, stellar job, and thank you for the insight!

I remember watching as this unfolded on TV and I never considered the perspective of the caseworkers and how young, inexperienced, and unprepared some of them were! I do remember noticing that they were trying their best to understand FLDS culture and just kept not quite getting it right. At one point they called a nearby LDS bishop to help and of course there wasn't anything he could do. What a fascinating interview. Thank you!

I watched the Netflix Keep Sweet special, and I’m so sorry to say that’s the first I’ve heard about the flds. Since then I’ve read and watched everything I can find. It’s terrible that so many people are still so brainwashed by one man. I’m glad to have found your channel.

Wow! What a gripping story she’s telling. Can’t wait for the next one. Thanks for sharing

What a wonderful but intense video to watch. This is such a sad and complicated story but I am glad that people were able to get to a place that was better for them and that Shannon was able to help in that process! Shannon, you are amazing and I hope that you are taking care of yourself as well, that is such an intense job.

Great interview. Removing children is so very hard and traumatic to both the family, children and the workers

Thank you for allowing her to share her story. Y'all are like reporters of the news for the FLDS. The work you do to reveal the truth is important, yet challenging work. I salute and support you for doing it. Thank you Melissa & Sam.

When I subscribed you only had 10k subs at most! Love that you've doubled and then some! You deserve them all. Your stories are so interesting, not only that but both of your commentary and the way you tell said stories is calming in a weird way. I can just put it on in the background. I know there's real tragedy in these stories, but it's so important to let people know, and speak up for others still trapped there. Thank you Sam for being so open, and thank you Melissa for everything you do to help make the channel whole!! ❤️❤️

I worked for DFPS back in 2017. I was in region 2 as well, out of Abilene. I remember hearing about this event happening years prior and it didn’t make any sense until watching documentaries on it later on. I also worked at Bath and Body Works during grad school and there were a couple women dressed in FLDS garb who were shopping there. I had no clue what religion they were part of, but looking back, it makes much more sense.

This is going to be so interesting. A perspective I’ve considered and is rarely, if ever (until now) covered! I’ll have to watch a little later, can’t wait!

Thank you so much for this. Through watching all your informative videos, I really feel like I have a more balanced understanding of events. Shannon and her colleagues were demonised in the mainstream media, and it's so important to share this information. Xx

THIS IS AMAZING! SHANNON IS FANTASTIC AND I LOVED HER WONDERFUL, FORTHRIGHT AND ACCEPTING CANDOR💜💚🧡

What a great video and an awesome and unique perspective of this we get to see. I can’t wait to see part 2.

This is a great interview! Can’t wait for part 2!!

This was extremely interesting. Thank you for setting up this interview! I'll be waiting for Part 2

I remember watching a documentary, filmed by German TV, about this. It was an eye opener for me. I looked into the FLDS & Warren Jeffs. It was shocking. I really applaud you for having Shannon as your guest. That is a ground breaking occurrence. I'm eagerly awaiting updates. Social Workers are often criticized, just for doing their job. In this instance, it was a good move. Your channel should grow. There is so much love from you both.

Sending in people that knew nothing about the FLDS was such a wrong decision.

Very interesting thank you. Shannon has done a very good job in Part 1 of explaining things. The removal of children is always a very difficult issue in all situations and I do not envy the job of the social workers. I believe a lot of the women gave false names and some of the children were moved around and not the child of the mother claiming them in some cases which made it a very complicated unusual case too requiring, later, DNA to be taken. Most of the children were not abused even if their lives were weird and they were returned by the courts. Looking forward to Part 2.

Wow, great interview with Shannon. It seems almost hard to believe that something like that was going on within the ranch. Looking forward to part II.

I just found your channel. Thank you to Shannon for being there and sharing honestly. It gives a very different perspective of what we saw. Also so many people in general are suspicious of government and it feels in some situations there are CPS workers who actually are hungry to pull kids out of homes. Shannon’s view was very insightful and I am sorry for the trauma she experienced in this, but what a hero as well. I pray she can have more peace all the time about things. I watched both Parts 1 & 2 and you two were great hosts. Thank you.

Wow. What a powerful interview and perspective. Thank you!

thank you for sharing this valuable interview and first-hand information. wow!

This is an amazing discussion! I really feel for Shannon, what a horrible situation she was in.

What an important interview. CPS investigators are heroes!

As a Texan who has worked and knows intimately of other organizations that work with CPS ie Teachers, Police, Nurses, Etc, and getting CPS to ACTUALLY verbally respond to a report is almost unheard of. I know many stories, that would send chills. No judgment ever for the CPS workers themselves, but it’s the lack of funding, training, support, and did I mention funding, that keeps people from staying there. It is truly a thankless, and almost very traumatic experience for people like this woman, and others, to do. But usually u will make a report to CPS and they send u a form letter back telling u to contact ur local police agency, and that happens even when u send in a report on actual POLICE LETTER HEAD! It’s insane. I hope this woman and all the others have gotten help for their trauma they experienced trying to help the kids of Texas. But, by all means, let’s make sure everyone can still have kids instead of taking care of the ones here. PAY FOR CPS Texas!!!

This was soo interesting! Cant wait for part 2!

This is AMAZING. I gasped when I saw the title. It really is important to know the mothers had the option of going with the children but chose to stay. That changes most everything.

I've Just binge watching about 12videos, and as soon as i finish my selection, this one pop up. AMAZING

This is GOLD! So awesome to hear this perspective!! 👏👏👏

I’m an original subscriber and haven’t missed anything from you. You are truly doing great things and are such a strong couple with a wonderful family

Thank you for bringing us this interview and a huge thanks to her for doing it💟

Wow. It is amazing to hear this from her perspective.

As a foster parent for ten years, this is super enlightening

Sam and Melissa, Yall did a fantastic job with this interview 👏🙌 Absolutely 💯 engaging and insightful questions and fantastic interview technique. sending love,light and happiness

Great Interview. Thanks for posting. Shannon you rock.

This is fascinating. Thank you for bringing in the other side of the story

I think this is great. Often, you only get the sense of what exactly happened from the books. I mean as far as they thought it was just a couple hundred people and a dozen maybe 2 dozen kids. They were NOT prepared for what they uncovered. Great coverage!!

Intriguing interview. I find it even more interesting that this CPS worker has a degree in Religious Studies and hasn’t ever seen a Mormon temple or heard of the FLDS. The LDS faith has a large presence in that whole region including Texas so that surprised me that she FRG she was chosen bc of her religious degree and hadn’t heard of the FLDS or even seen a Mormon temple before (there are over 265 temples worldwide, but 80 of those are in the US.) Mormonism is a major world religion so I am curious how she could have such a limited knowledge of it if she has a degree in religious studies.

Great video. Great perspective. It's so concerning that CPS had no clue abt FLDS culture. I know they like to do their own thing and stay away from non-FLDS people, but this is why they were able to get away with so much.

I live in Eldorado and yes it’s small. Glad she corrected herself about the story.

I worked at a CpS facility ( Kidz Harbor) in Alvin, Texas when the children were taken away and I took care of one of Warren Jeff’s children

This is such a fascinating and heartbreaking interview.

I am just a super ordinary woman- I find this channel so interesting. Thank you Sam and Melissa! I really think you are doing an amazing thing here!

You guys are killing it 💜💜

This excites me so much!! Just got back from vacation and an awesome interview from awesome people! Shannon I would be like what the frick too tbh! I swear I would be SHAKING

This was incredibly interesting, Can’t wait for part 2

Thank you so very much for all your work.

The time of the release is great. I feel like a "lunch buddy".

WOW! I’m so glad to hear Shannon’s story of what went down. And especially to know that the women had been given the option to leave with their children. Knowing they were already spiritually married for time and all eternity, I’m surprised the moms didn’t want to leave with their kids. This is so interesting! And at what point did Shannon begin to read up on the FLDS??

Can't wait for part 2!

This was soooo good! So amazing u got this interview!!

I just finished reading “The Witness Wore Red”. Amazing story of strength and dedication. Sam, did you know her? She probably left before you were aware. Have you interviewed her already?

Hats off to all genuinely decent CPS workers hanging in there TRYING to fight the good and just fight.

Thank you for this most interesting perspective.

…WOW. Great interview, admire the work these caseworkers did/do.

W.O.W. Thank you, Shanon, for sharing your story about this case! I remember following this raid on the news, it happened about a year before I became a mother myself, and I remember researching all I could about the FLDS and Mormon Polygamy out of curiosity... I remember feeling so badly for the mothers and children in the raid, while also feeling pretty sorry for the CPS workers; and wondering if there was a possible solution that could honor both our country's founding commitment to religious freedom, while still upholding our more recent value of protecting the rights of children and women... I was a bit older than Shanon at the time, but for my part, I could not think of a solution. Speaking of Shanon's age, I am floored that the most senior person the organization could bring in was only 24. Please don't get me wrong, it sounded like she had the right experience and educational background... but she said she'd been on the job 3 years? I'm not questioning her overall competence, I just can't help the feeling that this represents a kind of ongoing crisis in the CPS system in the state of Texas... It's not that I doubt the abilities of people in their 20s, or Shanon's abilities in particular, but there's something to be said for years of experience, isn't there? Where are all the folks w long memories and decades of work on the job behind them? That sort of thing is as valuable to an institution as young people with the latest training... perhaps I misunderstood the situation? It just sounds like there might be some major problems with the health of the institutions! Not a Texan, so I'm just wondering about it from the PNW. After seeing news of the raid on the internet whenit happened, I fell into a research rabbit hole about Mormon Polygamy, and started to think of the FLDS as this kind of... _malevolently exotic_ organization. Because of that earlier perception, I really appreciate you guys' channel, and Sam's stories specifically, for helping me put some of my ideas about the "exotic" nature of the FLDS into perspective, and humanizing the people who belong. That is something I think only someone who grew up in it could possibly do, and I really appreciate your candor, thank you both for the work you do! One more comment, that I expect could bother some people... or maybe it won't? But, I wanted to say I _completely get_ women chosing their husbands over their children. I don't mean that anyone "should" put their spouse ahead of their kids, and I don't mean it's the right call when someone is afraid for their child's life or their own, but without meaning to judge either decision (to stay or leave), I understand why someone would stay. I think. I just imagine, for myself, if I really didn't see the danger or harm my partner had done, I'd want to stay with him, regardless of the cost. As an example, suppose the police caught my partner selling Federal Crime quantities of drugs (ha!). They didn't find any weapons or anything, he's always been a good partner and parent, but now, CPS is saying they have to remove the kids from this "dangerous criminal operation." (I don't know if they do that, but I imagine in some states they might be able to, so _hypotheticallly_ .) At that point, I'm staying w my partner, even if I lose the kids. The bottom will have fallen out of everyone in the family's worlds at that point, and I wouldn't want to abandon my partner on top of everything else he'd be facing... especially since in this scenario, he'd be the only person on earth who would understand my decision, and how much I'd still miss my kids. I guess I feel like, even when they were small, my kids have always had their own personalities and destinies, and while I want to be the one to raise them, their destinies aren't welded to mine, but my partner and I have deliberately welded our fates together. It would be hard to let my kids go, but easier than separating from a loved and trusted partner. I imagine a lot of women whose kids are taken away feel something like that, and in a lot of cases there could be a heap of denial on top, because in a dysfunctional situation, people spend years making excuses for things ranging from kinda unhealthy to mortally dangerous. I don't imagine I'd want to stay married if I feared for my children at my partner's hands, or feared him myself, but the idea that people can be in a horrible situation and grab the person they have always gone to for comfort? Makes total sense to me. This does come apart some when I consider the case of the FLDS women refusing to leave, because I don't know how emotionally close they felt to their husbands, but then I guess religious teaching would be pretty compelling for them in a similar way. So I wish the news had reported that those mothers had a choice, and chose their religious community over their children, because it changes how one views the video of the kids being taken away, but I _get_ their decision. I don't know if I'd have made the same call in that particular community, but I bet I probably would. It makes complete sense to me. All in all, great video, sorry to ramble, thank you Sam and Melissa, for the stuff you do, and thank you Shanon for telling your story! All three of you are awesome!

Congratulations, prayers, & blessings to all who escaped this cult & I pray all of them break away

The story of the perspective of ex FLDS members who were at the ranch like the young man Warren, Jeff’s, son, and this person, and any other people that you can get to tell their story is still so enlightening. I have to remember from the information that has been given to us that these kids were not necessarily the biological children of these chosen “mothers”. This whole story is surreal still.

Wow thank you so much for getting this point of view! Such a valuable piece of the puzzle

Love you guys. Honestly im a bit surprised by this worker’s difficulty w communitation. As a public health nurse, I have frequently gone out to homes with a CPS worker… This one seems rather immature. I’m not sure how much more I can take of her telling us how weird she thought things were and the way she tells a story is like she’s a seventh grader. Still good to know though!

you guys do such great interviews, Melissa adds so many nuanced questions that just round the questions and answers of the interviewees out and gives it so much depth... found your channel after Keep Sweet and I have been hooked ever since Keep up the great work!

My 19yo isn't an adult!!!! She calls me constantly for questions on life lol and she lives with her partner of 2 years. The other day she asked if she could put salsa in her chili.... I said honey it is your food you put whatever you want in there lol this are the questions I get asked, so no do not feel bad for taking a young adult into custody they still need help!

Charming couple asking really good questions. Very interesting interview.

Wow! Thank you for doing this interview!

Wow, this is amazing!!

I had no idea about any of this and I’ve watched every documentary. Of course I don’t practice religion so I wasn’t very welcome living in Utah. Still from a cps worker this is soooo eye opening!

Wow this was fascinating! Can’t wait for the next part!

Thanks for this awesome video. cant wait for the next installment!

Lived by the compound in the black hills of SD. Never knew it was even there until the news choppers started flying over

What a shame there was no one to prepare these people for what they would be encountering. It would have been so much easier, on both sides. I can imagine the horror of these mothers thinking that their children were being taken by the devil's minions. At the same time, I can imagine the horror of going into that situation cold, with no knowledge of what to expect. It must have been terrible - especially for the kids.

Wow, it's really fascinating to get this side of the story after watching the documentary.

If people are allowed to believe what they want as long as it doesn’t harm others, then let’s get rid of every religion. Because every single religion harms others.

Fascinating video/interview. Thank you!

Great video. Can't wait for the conclusion.

Although I follow the channel I seem to have missed these about the cps. Completely fascinating

Texans DID know about this frim the minute they bought the land.!!!

This is so heartbreaking 💔 Imagine a cult that not only mentally injures its members but also people sent in to help! I’m all for people being allowed to believe in whatever religion they choose but this cult type sh!t hurts whole communities 😢 They should of done their research on this group, so Shannon wasn’t going in blind, I feel it would of been easier on people that were going in to help if they had someone like Joanna to explain to them the dynamics of the group as a whole,

Wow!!! 👍👍Very interesting to me. I don't know a lot about this. I only saw little clips on our Canadian national news; that I didn't watch every day because I had an infant at the time. I'm looking forward to part 2.

unbelievable...this must stop

While marriages are solemnized in both LDS and FLDS temples, the three main differences are in LDS temples, 1) children are not given in "marriage" to adults, 2) "spiritual" marriages aren't a thing and 3) marriages are not consummated in the temple.

Very interesting. Thanks for sharing.

I was uncomfortable with the ABSOLUTE lack of appropriate cultural knowledge this self described " senior" social worker had as she walked into these people's lives . In Canada social workers with our " cps" HAVE to have a Bach or masters in social work to be considered for such a powerful position. Shannon simply didn't have the basics any proper university would insist on having before handing them a degree. THEN THE BIGGEST INSULT SLAPPED ME IN THE FACE. ...She referred to the "blankets with chicken pox" given to the Aboriginal peoples in North America as she chuckled....it WASNT chicken pox....it was SMALL POX and it took out an estimated 150,000 Indiginous lives, wiping out full tribes, languages, environmental recipes, and parenting secrets we could have ALLLLLL used dearly.I love your show and you were very polite as this woman continued prideful announce she " knew nothing about these people and didn't care"...Thank God my country demands at LEAST some general education of those deemed strong enough to protect our children. If you don't know about a society you're about to infringe upon and terrify, I suggest you at LEAST google a couple of hours and refrain from " not caring." It's your JOB to care, Shannon. Shame on you.

Yasss I loved the kippah reveal Shannon!!

Cant wait for part 2!

I am shocked and appalled how ill-prepared and uninformed this CPS agent was going into this. A little information would have got a long way.

Yeah... Ruby ridge, Waco.. not surprised they kept their sights on the CPS lizard..

ABSOLUTELY riveting!!

This is my fascination I cannot fathom how this is continuing so very sad Wish I could able to help such a horrible situation for all I’d the women children and young boys my heart aches for them also my husband sending so much love to all

Snipers? All you had was paper? 😮 Now you know how scary it is when law enforcement tells you to testify against the man who promised to "love honor & charish" you & you promised to love honor & obey 😢 police (on a good day shows up to "domestic disturbance" call within 20 minutes 😲🤔

There’s 3 sides to every story ( Yours, Mine, and the Truth)

Did the town's population increase exponentially or what? Because she stated it was 300 people and it's closer to 3000. Not knowing about the religions of an are "who even are the Mormons" before practicing social work is alarming.

And Eldorado is 2000 people. Back then it was 1500

What are the odds that they would pick that one wife to be screened and she is the one to spill the beans.

wonderful perspective