Enter, the CSD. It became apparent that the school lost no time in making good on their threat to call the CSD if things didn't improve immediately with Tylor's behavior in school. There followed a visit from a CSD worker "investigating" the reports of "abuse and neglect" made by the school staff.
A CSD Caseworker came to call one afternoon, and offered the help of the CSD "Homemaker" to Tylor's father. In his mind it seemed a bit inappropriate that the immediate solution to Tylor's problems was for the state to supply Tylor and him with maid service. True, there was a need for a woman's touch about their home, but a garbage pit it wasn't. There was food in the cupboards and clean dishes too. The dust was evident on the flat surfaces, not to mention the newspapers and children's toys lying about the house. A housemaid seemed out of line with the problems involved.
To shorten a long narrative, the events followed in this order:
In the days that followed, Tylor's father received a visit from a Sheriffs Deputy who told him he was going to have to talk with the CSD about the situation with Tylor. Tylor's father responded by saying he would talk with anyone from that agency except the previous one, and on any subject except that of a "House Maid." The Deputy left to report the content of the interview to the CSD.
Some ten months after the first visit the same Caseworker arrived at Tylor's home for the promised cooperative interview. The first words out of his mouth were, "I'm glad to hear you've decided to accept the services of our Homemaker." The same little man was back trying to force Tylor's father to accept the same "maid service" as before.
Need I say more? Of course the "service" was refused, and the Caseworker was again escorted out of Tylor's home and told never to return, but send someone else instead.
(Years later we were to discover that the Caseworker had, indeed, sent someone else out. That person was the so-called Homemaker. She dropped out on one occasion to find the house and shop standing open with no one around, so she left. That was the one and only attempt she made at contact with Tylor's family. She had come to a town so small you could stand at one end, and look out of town on the other end, looking for who she knew was a well known person. The only other place of business in evidence was the store directly across the street, but she didn't go there and ask after Tylor or his family.)
The next event was to take place on Nov. 12, 1987 when the CSD came to town and removed Tylor from school, taking him into "Protective Custody" and leaving instructions with all involved not to speak with Tylor's father about the matter.
One of the store owners, and also a school board member, was the first person Tylor's father asked if she knew what had happened to his son. She also was the first person to say, "I don't have to talk with you about that, and I won't." The exact same words everyone who should have known something about the whereabouts of Tylor had to say. She was just a member of the School Board, not an employee of the District, yet she said the exact same phrase barely two hours after Tylor was taken from school, and before school let out for the day.
It is said that paranoia is a sign of mental instability. It is also said that a paranoid also feels a certain amount of conspiracy against himself. That may be true, but a person can feel as if there is a conspiracy afoot when it is true. During the weeks that followed Tylor's abduction from school, there were those at CSD who said that Tylor's father was clearly a paranoid because he seemed to feel there was a conspiracy to take his son from him. Was he sick, or was he right?
If no conspiracy existed, then why did so many people have the same quote, like a broken record playing the same groove over and over. "I don't have to...." That was the phrase he heard from so many so soon after the fact. Even if there were no other reason to believe there was a conspiracy, that was enough to make it obvious that these people had been carefully coached for their parts. How can so many have said the exact, same words if they hadn't been coached? The conspiracy existed, and to deny it makes those involved look smart, but only if they can keep it hidden.
If this is paranoia, then I am paranoid.
The extent to which the conspiracy ran, and the total number of people involved in it will probably never be known. My guess is that even the School Board had knowledge of what was happening before the event took place. I find no reason to doubt that the plan was conceived in the back rooms around town by members of the board Finance Committee as they sought to solve the schools financial problems. I must say that they found a solution that was effective in cutting costs, and one with which I'm sure everyone was, and is, still quite happy with.
Everyone, that is, everyone except for Tylor, and his family.