Toronto – After her 38 year-old son Ben Johnson moved out and got a job at Starbucks, Child Protective Services decided to investigate his mother, Deborah, for possible child neglect and abandonment.
“A neighbour saw Ben working as a barista at Starbucks, and she freaked out,” explained Deborah Johnson, whose son was, until recently, living in the basement. “When he told her he was living in a rented apartment with friends, she got even more frantic and contacted Child Protective Services.”
When CPS showed up at Ms. Johnson’s house, they immediately quizzed her about her fitness as a mother, demanding to know whether she had abdicated responsibility for any of her other adult children besides Ben.
“They couldn’t believe I allowed Ben to move out and start his own life, but they were absolutely appalled when I told them I don’t even pay his cell phone bill anymore.”
When asked to comment, CPS replied in an email: “Our top priority is Ben’s safety. We are concerned about him living in a basement apartment with a substandard wifi connection. How is he supposed to binge-watch Netflix in that sort of environment? He may be exposed to light and harmful UV rays.”
According to sources, CPS is considering pressing child exploitation charges against Starbucks for allowing Johnson’s son to work at such a young age.
