Reveal A Baby Adopted, A Family Divided
Aug 23, 2025
Andrew Becker, a reporter specializing in investigative journalism, joins the discussion alongside Bernice Yeung to unravel the controversial adoption saga of David Leavitt. They explore the ethical dilemmas surrounding the adoption of a Native American child by a non-Native family, revealing how it skirts the Indian Child Welfare Act. The conversation dives into the generational trauma faced by the Native family, leaving them feeling dispossessed, and highlights the legal and emotional turmoil that ensue when cultural identities clash in custody battles.
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ICWA Protects Cultural Continuity
- ICWA was created to stop the historic removal and cultural erasure of Native children by prioritizing kin and tribal placements.
- The law aims to preserve children's cultural, familial, and community ties rather than prioritize non-Native adoption.
Family Ties Led To Levitt Contact
- Mary Grace Medicintop and her family have long ties to the Eastwood (Mormon) foster family who helped raise her and later connected with the Levitts.
- David first learned about Tona's newborn at a family gathering and then made multiple trips to the reservation offering help and groceries.
Child Removed After Mother's Arrest
- After Tona was jailed in Montana, BIA social workers took the baby and David left the reservation with her in his custody.
- David returned to Utah, told family he would raise the child, and limited the biological family's contact.