By Richard Luthmann
On a recent episode of The Unknown Podcast, investigative journalists Michael Volpe and Richard Luthmann debated the hot-button topic of parental alienation. The debate comes as Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont faces mounting pressure to proclaim April 25, 2025, Parental Alienation Awareness Day.
Advocate Joan Kloth-Zanard has called parental alienation (PA) a “felony under custodial interference laws,” using children as “pawns to hurt targeted parents.” She has urged Lamont to reinstate the proclamation, which she claims previous governors supported.
However, not everyone buys into the concept. Volpe dismisses it outright, labeling it vague, overused, and unsupported by scientific rigor. He questions the concept’s validity, calling it a “broad and nebulous” term used inconsistently.
A War of Words
“Parental alienation is psychological warfare with children,” Kloth-Zanard wrote in a statement supporting the awareness day.
“It’s not just emotional abuse—it’s an assault on a child’s ability to think critically and function healthily.”
Volpe was not convinced.
“You can’t diagnose ‘psychological warfare.’ They use big, explosive phrases, but what does it mean in practice? Anything can be parental alienation,” Volpe said.
He minced no words in his critique.
“Parental alienation is a catch-all term with no scientific rigor,” he said. “It’s like diagnosing witchcraft. It means whatever someone wants it to mean.”
Luthmann, in contrast, proposed a more open-minded approach.
“You have a lot of people who disagree with you, Mike,” he said. “This issue is destroying families, or it’s a complete farce, depending on who you ask.”
Reader comments added fuel to the fire.
Mark Roseman, Ph.D., defended parental alienation as “a form of child abuse that should be mitigated by trained professionals.”
He noted, “Therapeutic findings show that brainwashing by parents often stems from untreated childhood traumas.”
The History of a Divisive Theory
The origins of parental alienation trace back to Dr. Richard Gardner, whose work has faced significant criticism for lacking peer review and scientific foundation.
Jill Jones Soderman, founder of the Foundation for the Child Victims of the Family Courts, called Gardner’s theory a “discredited invention” that enabled corruption in family courts.
“It’s a weapon in custody battles, fostering racketeering and, in some cases, child trafficking,” Soderman said.
She highlighted the UN Special Rapporteur’s findings on the misuse of custody determinations, which often victimize women and children.
An Invitation to Debate
Luthmann, who describes himself as open to both sides, sees value in the discussion. In response to the controversy, he invited Kloth-Zanard and other advocates to debate Volpe and critics on The Unknown Podcast.
“There are strong opinions on both sides, and I’d like to host a debate with experts and advocates,” he said. “We need to hear from people who see it as a legitimate issue and those who believe it’s a farce. We need a balanced discussion,” he said.
Luthmann thinks public discourse is the best solution.
“Joani and her colleagues are articulate and knowledgeable, and I think they’ll hold their ground against Volpe’s challenges.”
Volpe welcomed the challenge but remained firm in his skepticism.
“I wouldn’t support Parental Alienation Awareness Day any more than I’d support National Unicorn Day,” he quipped. “The concept is too vague to be helpful. If parental alienation were real, it wouldn’t need this much spin to sell it.”
Governor Lamont’s Next Move
The ball is now in Governor Lamont’s court as advocates and critics flood his office with emails and petitions. For Kloth-Zanard and her supporters, official recognition would validate their efforts to address what they call a severe form of child abuse.
For critics like Volpe and Soderman, the move risks legitimizing a flawed theory that does more harm than good.
“This is about protecting children,” Kloth-Zanard insists. “Parental alienation awareness is a necessary step in addressing a widespread issue.”
For now, the debate continues, with The Unknown Podcast promising to amplify both sides of this contentious topic. It remains to be seen whether Governor Lamont will decide before April 25.
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