Circumcision of Four-Year-Old Boy Scheduled, Protesters Target Surgeon
The circumcision of a four-year-old boy, Chase Nebus-Hironimus, which has been at the center of a national debate, is scheduled for Tuesday, February 24. Supporters have begun a campaign targeting Dr. Subhash Puranik – the would-be surgeon – and are due to protest outside of his office on Monday, in Plantation, FL.
“I am protesting because I believe that Chase, as well as all boys, should have the right to make this decision for themselves, ” says Jenn Cote of Pembroke Pines, FL, a co-director of South Florida Intactivists Unite and organizer of the protest. Her group has been organizing protests in support of Chase and his mother since May 2014.
“Any doctor who can knowingly violate a child’s body by performing non-therapeutic surgery is a quack and deserves to lose his license, ” says Colleen Cochran of Stuart, FL, member of South Florida Intactivists Unite. “Dr. Puranik has obviously lost sight of the most important tenet of medicine: First, do no harm.”
The battle over the boy’s foreskin has been going on for years. When the boy was just one year old, the his separated parents signed a contract which included an agreement for the boy’s father to schedule and pay for the circumcision in a timely manner.
The procedure, however, was never done and the matter was dropped after the boy’s mother, Heather Hironimus, decided not to go ahead with it. But the boy’s father, Dennis Nebus, raised the circumcision issue again, according to protesters to “spite the mother.”
The family court ruled in Nebus’ favor in May 2014, giving permission for the circumcision to be scheduled. Hironimus went through months of court proceedings to try and stop the circumcision, but in November 2014 her appeal was denied and she reached a legal dead end.
In the meantime, the father took the boy to pediatric urologist Dr. Charles Flack in Boynton Beach, FL, who said the boy was healthy and didn’t need a circumcision after examination. However, Dr. Flack did testify in the Florida court alleging that circumcision had health benefits, even though he wouldn’t circumcise his own son in a similar situation because of the risks of surgery.
“If he’s not having any problems, I wouldn’t want to bear that burden if, God forbid, something happened, ” said Dr. Flack during a phone call to the court. Dr. Flack was the target of a protest last January but told protest organizer Jonathan Friedman by phone that he would not perform the surgery on Chase even with a court order since the mother doesn’t consent.
“Most people are outraged to learn that a doctor and a court official conspired to order the circumcision of a healthy and articulate four-year-old boy against his and his mother’s wishes, ” says Friedman, who has been raising awareness about the case since May 2014. “People stopped by our protest last month and expressed anger and disbelief that such a situation could even happen here in America. Where did a respect for law, ethics and medicine go?”
Last week’s pre-op appointment was scheduled without the mother’s knowledge, though she learned about it in time to be present. Pre-op appointments are typically scheduled 1-2 weeks prior to surgery. The mother’s attorney filed an urgent motion for injunctive relief and contempt to try to prevent Tuesday’s surgery, but the court has yet to grant their request.
Stay tuned.
Read more about: Circumcision, Florida court, Heather Hironimus, Jenn Cote, Religion and children, Subhash Puranik


Regardless of how you feel about infant circumcision, this is a 4 year old boy who is highly aware of his body and terrified of having part of his penis cut off for no medical reason. I have a 4 year old myself (who like all intact boys loves his foreskin)–I would never subject him to this kind of psychological or physical trauma unless he was seriously injured/ill and I had exhausted all other options. I once explained circumcision to him after he saw a circumcised boy at the pool, and he was horrified and begged me to promise that nobody would ever do that to him.
Circumcision of a 4 year old is not just a snip or a bit of skin, it requires skinning and cutting away over half the penile skin under general anesthesia. If one parent and the patient himself is opposed to cosmetic surgery, why should the father get to override that? This child and his parents are neither Jewish nor Muslim; there is no reason to do this until the boy can decide for himself.
And there is certainly no reason for a gag order preventing the mother from comforting her child and helping him process his emotions of having part of his penis removed.
This is just awful. What kind of father does this to his son? The courts should realize that this father is clearly mentally unstable
This is HORRIFYING!!! I have a 4 year old INTACT boy and reading this makes me SO SAD!!! This lil boy’s “dad”…I use the word loosely…is obviously doing this out of spite against his ex-wife….PIECE OF TRASH!!!
Forced infant male circumcision is a human rights violation – nothing more, nothing less. This particular case is especially outrageous and revolting in part because the victim is a four-year old boy but no less in part because this has now become a case of state-sanctioned genital mutilation. It is no different in principle than if a father wanted to have his daughter’s genitalia mutilated while the daughter’s mother objected and a judge ordered that mutilation occur against the wishes of both the mother and the victim herself. It’s unfathomable that this could occur in the United States. The reason this is going on is because whereas female genital mutilation is now, mercifully, illegal in all 50 states, male genital mutilation is not; in fact, it’s routine. That needs to change, and it needs to change now. It may be too late for poor Chase, but not for others. Attached is a link to a petition calling on congress to ban routine infant male circumcision now. Please sign it and share it widely.
http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/ban-routine-infant-male-1?source=c.em&r_by=322447
Circumcision has no place in a civilized society. Period.
You wouldn’t perform a medically unnecessary surgery on an unconsenting adult. What makes this any different?
DavidBalashinsky PRIntactivism I wasn’t replying to you. I don’t know what made you think I was.
In a country that moans and squeals “woman’s body woman’s right!” 24/7. Such a Jewey country.
twirlyfry The reason for the phenomenon of circumcised fathers enforcing circumcision is of psychological origin, to those individuals, its an imperative to eliminate the foreskin and force their penile status onto their children because they cant stand their sons having something they dont, they feel that if they dont get their boy circumcised, it invalidates THEIR genitals.
Its all about the father’s insecurity.
Haha nice try, but these people aren’t even Jewish.
This isn’t actually a Jewish issue – because of these people were Jewish, there would be no issue.
JessiCopland Actually, there very well could. The idea that all Jews cut boys without question is far from the truth. In Europe the rate is reportedly below 50%. Here are contact details for celebrants of non-surgical naming ceremonies, including more than 100 rabbis; http://britshalom.info
JessiCopland human rights rights are an issue hiding behind religion is no excuse. A man has a right to HIS religion especial when it involves genital mutilation. It’s a Jewey influence in Murica.
This four year old boy has flat out said that he does not want to be circumcised. So why is this even an issue?! Everybody, male or female has the right to their own body and should have the right to choose whether or not to modify it. I am digusted this is an actual argument. If he said that he does not want to be circumcised than that is his right and his decision.
no it does detroys most of the sensations. Cutting off your child’s legs would be less barbaric
Even if the supposed benefits touted by circumcision promoters are 100% legit, there is still no basis for cutting a child rather than letting him grow to a rational age and decide for himself.
Foreskin feels REALLY good. Seriously, it’s the best part. Most of the modern world (and the vast majority of all people who ever lived) enjoy intact genitals.
To anyone reading this, please note that the child has stated that he doesn’t want to be circumcised. This entire operation is being forced upon him and his opinion ignored.
No medical benefits of circumcision have ever been proven, and circumcision amputates tens of thousands of nerves, some more of them will not return to normal function after being damaged, and the rest will be desensitized due to keratinization. Chase is young and his glans is likely still fused to his foreskin (as is normal) and the surgery will involve ripping the foreskin from the glans like a fingernail from a finger. Recovery will likely be very painful despite any painkillers they give him.
If this goes ahead, I hope he sues the “doctor” for millions when he comes of age.
I hope Chase does not get cut. Why are people in the Scientific Age in love with being so disgustingly barbaric?
And why are people who are confronted with new information, so damned stupid by refusing to listen to advanced science?
Morals are based on human well-being and human suffering. This unnecessary mutilation will lower his human well-being for the remainder of his life.
Shame on all those involved allowing this genital mutilation. Shame on the father, shame on the doctor and shame on the immoral judge.
So it appears to us that you are not JUST interested in doing this to your own children; you want OUR children as well.
Otherwise how do you explain the number of pro-circ medical “studies” being done by people from your culture?
Michael Steane 74 year old doctor. He will be in hell by the time Chase is old enough to sue.
JeffGraw Jewish culture doesn’t say anything about non-Jews being circumcised or not. Jews circumcise boys at 8 days, not a couple months old and never one or 4 years old. Awful for the kid to remember the procedure. Certainly a sane adult would say this kid shouldn’t be circumcised unless there is a damn good medical reason to do so urgently. Doctors of various cultures are for and agaisnt infant circumcision for health reasons,hygiene etc…. I’d assume there are Jewish doctors on BOth sides of that debate.
JessiCopland I’m Jewish. I’m cut. I hate it.