Sperm donor in fight to avoid child support payout

A sperm donor in Kansas is fighting a state effort to force him to pay child support for a child conceived through artificial insemination by a lesbian couple.

William Marotta, 46, of Topeka said he is “a little scared about where this is going to go, primarily for financial reasons,” The Topeka Capital Journal reported.

When he donated sperm to Angela Bauer and Jennifer Schreiner in 2009, Marotta relinquished all parental rights, including financial responsibility to the child.

When Bauer and Schreiner filed for state assistance this year, the state demanded the donor’s name so it could collect child support for the now 3-year-old girl. Bauer and Schreiner broke up in 2010 but co-parent their eight children, who range in age from 3 months to 25 years.

“In the long run, I think this will be a good thing, but I’m the one getting squashed,” Marotta said. “I can’t even believe it’s gone this far at this point, and there’s not a damn thing I can do about it.”

Though his attorneys, Benoit Swinnen and Hannah Schroller, are charging him reduced rates, Marotta said he expects the legal fees to eventually be more than he can afford. He is predominantly a mechanic but said he is currently working in a different field. He and his wife, Kimberly, have no biological children but care for foster children.

The state contends the agreement between Marotta and the women is not valid because Kansas law requires a licensed physician to perform artificial insemination.

A hearing on a motion by Marotta’s attorneys to dismiss the case is scheduled for next week in Shawnee County District Court.