Self-described “Award-winning multi-media journalist” David Leavitt called Child Protective Services on Virginia State Senate candidate Tina Ramirez, reporting her for “child abuse” because her opinion of Columbus Day differed from his.
The spat began with an apparent non-sequitur, when Leavitt replied to a tweet from Ramirez over reports that PayPal planned to fine people for spreading “misinformation” — a story broken by Daily Wire reporter Ben Zeisloft.
“Only women can be pregnant. Do I owe PayPal $2500 now?” Ramirez asked, to which Leavitt replied, “Why are you celebrating torture, rape, murder, and enslavement?”
Why are you celebrating torture, rape, murder, and enslavement?
— David Leavitt (@David_Leavitt) October 10, 2022
Leavitt appeared to be referencing another tweet in which Ramirez wished her followers a happy Columbus Day, and Ramirez responded with a simple explanation: “I teach my daughter real American history. I refuse to join the radical left’s campaign to erase history.”
I teach my daughter real American history. I refuse to join the radical left’s campaign to erase history. https://t.co/x2DGvAabsy
— Tina Ramirez (@TinaRamirezVA) October 10, 2022
Leavitt responded by attempting to get some of his 330,000+ followers to harass Ramirez by reporting her to Child Protective Services.
“Can someone please call child care services on Tina Ramirez who’s teaching her child to be a racist?” he asked.
He then apparently decided to make the call himself — and complained about the long wait time to speak to someone at the hotline.
“The Virginia State hotline for child abuse has a 10+ minute hold and is experiencing ‘high call volumes’ with 14 callers ahead of me. This is absolutely unacceptable. How many people try to report child abuse and hang up? How many children will continue to be abused?” he asked.
The Virginia State hotline for child abuse has a 10+ minute hold and is experiencing “high call volumes” with 14 callers ahead of me.
This is absolutely unacceptable. How many people try to report child abuse and hang up? How many children will continue to be abused? pic.twitter.com/yZOKEqTAcn
— David Leavitt (@David_Leavitt) October 10, 2022
While Leavitt continued to hold — and continued to complain about the wait time — Ramirez responded: “Mighty bold and liberal of you to lecture a Hispanic mother with a black daughter on racism. What’s next? Are you going to lecture me on women’s rights?”
Leavitt responded by wondering whether she knew he was waiting to report her — and then informed her that “having a black child doesn’t make you any less racist.”
Having a black child doesn't make you any less racisthttps://t.co/QnrkB39TTq
— David Leavitt (@David_Leavitt) October 10, 2022
Leavitt continued to complain about the wait time, posting updates showing that he had been on hold for over an hour. As he waited on the line to report Ramirez for abusing her child —by celebrating Columbus Day — he lamented the amount of abuse that must be taking place in Virginia for wait times to be so long.
Ramirez responded to the entire situation in a Twitter thread of her own, saying, “Tonight, @David_Leavitt called Child Protective Services to report ‘child abuse’ because I teach my daughter about Christopher Columbus and real American history. As a single mother, I am my daughter’s only support. This is appalling for a number of reasons.”
Radical leftist @David_Leavitt didn’t just call CPS to level accusations against me.
He waited an hour on hold, tying up the lines of our CPS professionals trying to help Virginia’s children. The radical left is willing to put our children at risk to cancel conservatives.
2/4
— Tina Ramirez (@TinaRamirezVA) October 11, 2022
“Radical leftist @David_Leavitt didn’t just call CPS to level accusations against me,” she continued. “He waited an hour on hold, tying up the lines of our CPS professionals trying to help Virginia’s children. The radical left is willing to put our children at risk to cancel conservatives.”
“It’s no surprise that a member of the radical left is willing to go so far as to call CPS on a single mother – simply because they want to erase history. The radical left doesn’t want parents making decisions for their own families,” Ramirez added.
This goes back to what Virginians fought for in 2021 when they elected @GlennYoungkin: parent’s rights.
The radical left is willing to sit on hold with CPS for a full hour to level accusations of child abuse – all because we don’t agree with their out-of-touch worldview.
4/4
— Tina Ramirez (@TinaRamirezVA) October 11, 2022
“This goes back to what Virginians fought for in 2021 when they elected @GlennYoungkin: parent’s rights,” Ramirez concluded. “The radical left is willing to sit on hold with CPS for a full hour to level accusations of child abuse — all because we don’t agree with their out-of-touch worldview.”