PITTSBURGH -- The case of an ex-stripper whose child was taken away from her by the courts and given to her former in-laws to raise brings up a lot of questions about who decides who should raise our children.

Cherina Slepecki, now pregnant with her second child, was an exotic dancer two years ago who worked overnight. A baby-sitter stayed with son, Kenny.

Slepecki said, "I thought it was convenient. It was it was near his bedtime when I would be leaving. He was still sleeping when I came home so I didn't miss the active time of his life."

But Slepecki's work shift was one reason Armstrong County Judge Kenneth Valasec ruled that Kenny's paternal grandparents should be given primary custody.

Attorney Lisa Marie Vari said, "I believe the underlying issue in this case, although not directly stated, in the trial court's opinion was that Cherina was an exotic dancer."

Vari handled Slepecki's appeal. She said, "In my opinion, that is very much similar to people in the medical profession who work evening hours at a hospital or firefighters or EMTs."

Grandfather Kenneth Boarts said, "Though I don't believe in that kind of lifestyle, that was not why we came to court because Cherina was a stripper."

Boarts and his wife, Beverly, said they sued for custody of Kenny because they felt he was being abused or neglected when he lived with Slepecki and her new husband.

"We felt compelled we felt compelled to do what we did," Beverly said.

Valasec ruled Slepecki was a fit parent, but still awarded custody to the Boarts, which is provided for under Pennsylvania's grandparent's statute.

Vari said, "I think what this means is that there are a lot of young parents that are at risk."

The Boarts raised their grandchild for a total of 18 months.

Kenneth said, "While I had him up here through the summertime, Kenny and me was together seven days a week. I packed his lunch, I sent him to school, I guess I'm Mr. Grandmom, I don't know."

"It's unfair that he had to spend so much time away from me," Slepecki said.

So, she appealed to the Pennsylvania Superior Court and in an opinion handed down, she won back custody of Kenny.

"He knows that he came back to live with Mommy and that we had to get some higher judges, more powerful judges to get that to happen," Slepecki said.

Now the grandparents are suing for partial custody.

Slepecki said, "I think he's going to miss some activities that they did with him but he hasn't said. 'I miss them. I want to go back.'"

Beverly said, "He's like my own; extremely close."

"Every parent needs to understand that they do not have necessarily the ultimate decision regarding the care of their children," Vari said.

"I can't imagine not ever seeing him again; I can't," Beverly said.

Slepecki said the whole custody fight has been emotionally and financially draining. To prevent anyone else from going through it, her attorney is taking steps to ask the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to declare the grandparent's statute unconstitutional or change the interpretation of it.

More Details:
Grandparent Issues: Pennsylvania
Grandparent's Rights