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PRINT THIS PAGE | E-MAIL THIS PAGE Saturday, October 24, 1998 Moceanu calls suing parents "the hardest thing I've done in my life" By TERRI LANGFORD Associated Press Writer HOUSTON (AP) -- Gymnast Dominique Moceanu says the decision to sue her parents was "the hardest thing I've done in my life" and insisted no one influenced her decision. "Let me make it perfectly clear, no one is pushing or pressuring me into this decision," the 17-year-old said in a prepared statement read aloud by her lawyer, Roy W. Moore. "It is something I have thought about for a long time and recent decisions by my father made it clear to me that it had to be done immediately." The 1996 Olympic gold medalist fled her parents' Houston-area home late Sunday and on Monday filed a lawsuit demanding to be declared a legal adult so she could get answers about how her earnings are being spent, primarily by her father, Dumitru Moceanu. "I want whatever I have earned to be under my control so I know how my earnings are being used and I want to be able to train and compete in the sport I love for the right reason, because I love it, not because my father tells me I have to make more money," Moceanu said in her statement. On Friday, her parents fought back, asking a judge to dismiss their daughter's lawsuit, and the temporary restraining order against them. In four petitions filed with the 309th state District Court in Houston, they asked a judge to dissolve the temporary restraining order and return their child to them, that the gymnast's request for adult status be dismissed and that a new hearing be held on the matter. A judge will consider the motions on Nov. 4. On Nov. 11, a judge will consider whether to grant Moceanu adult status. "It is really emotional for them," said Jimmy Phillips Jr., a lawyer for the Moceanus. "They have worked with their child, they have been a family unit." The gymnast claimed her trust fund was being squandered by her father, that her earnings have bankrolled a $4 million gym bearing her name and other, more risky investments without her approval. Phillips claims Texas family law requires that at least one parent or a legal guardian must support a minor's request to be legally declared an adult before a judge can approve it. He claims it's doubtful whether Moceanu is "sufficiently sophisticated" to take care of herself. "In her instance, it means more than having enough money for food and lodging," the Moceanus' lawyer said. "She has a terrific ability and I'm not so sure she has the sufficient sophistication to handle the legal contracts, the money she does receive." The gymnast's lawyer disagreed. "He's stretching," Moore said. "It's our belief that the parents in this action -- because of their diametrically opposed position of the petition -- that they are, of course, unavailable to sign the petition." Except for an interview with the Houston Chronicle, Moceanu, a senior at the private Northland Christian School, has remained in seclusion. In her statement, she said the decision to sue for adult status is not one she recommends. "I'm not saying this is right for all minors ... but under this circumstance, it is," she said.   Send a Letter to the Editor about This Story | Start or Join A Discussion about This Story Send the URL (Address) of This Story to A Friend: Enter their email address below: texnews.com Reporter OnLine Local Sports Texas Sports Copyright ©1998, Abilene Reporter-News / Texnews / E.W. Scripps Publications Send the URL (Address) of This Story to A Friend: Enter their email address below:

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