Parents in granddaughter’s visitation battle sent judge a secret recording of their son-in-law — the judge’s ruling left them stunned
Losing a parent is always difficult for a child; not only does it take an emotional toll, but it also brings a wave of challenges, from custody issues to changes in relationships with the deceased parent’s family. A similar case surfaced in Kent County, where grandparents filed a petition seeking permission from a Portsmouth man to see their only grandchild, after their daughter, the mother of the child, succumbed to cancer, as reported by WPRI 12 on Thursday, April 23, 2026. To support their case, they even submitted secretly recorded audio of their son-in-law. However, when the judge delivered the ruling, it likely left them flummoxed.
Retired Drs. Siavash Ghoreishi and Jila Khorsand were the petitioners seeking visitation rights for their 4-year-old granddaughter, Laila. However, their son-in-law, Scott Naso, did not want his daughter to be around them. He claimed that his in-laws’ actions, such as prescribing an overdose and misdiagnosing symptoms, ultimately led to his wife’s passing. At one point, while explaining why he wanted to keep his daughter away and why he didn’t trust them, two family friends secretly recorded him. The recording was later passed on to the grandparents, who submitted it as evidence, believing it would support their case. However, it had the opposite effect, as Judge Felix Gill ultimately dismissed their petition.
The secretly recorded audio was played during the trial, in which Scott Naso spoke about his in-laws’ alleged efforts to prevent further treatment, which he said led to the death of his wife, Sharzad Sherry Naso. However, after hearing the recording, Judge Gill concluded that Naso’s lack of trust in the grandparents was justified. In fact, the act of secretly recording him ultimately worked against them, strengthening concerns about their reliability. “It reinforces the reasonableness of Scott’s apprehensions and his decision to restrict visitation,” the judge said. He also believed the recording was “an invasion of privacy” and an “overstep” by Ghoreishi and Khorsand.
According to PEOPLE, Naso also alleged that his father-in-law had issued more than 36 prescriptions for Laila before she reached the age of 3. The secret audio played a key role in guiding Gill’s decision, but not in favor of the grandparents as they expected. Laila’s grandparents were not granted visitation rights. But at the same time, the judge also criticized the father, Naso, for being selfish in keeping Laila away from her maternal grandparents. Naso's testimony, which included his in-laws' manipulation of Laila's medical records and her emotional outbursts related to court-ordered visits, was deemed unreliable.
According to the judge, Laila’s distant behavior toward her grandparents stemmed from her father influencing her to believe that “they were bad people.” “It is in Laila's best interest to visit with her grandparents. [But] I have to give deference to a fit and proper custodial parent to refuse visitation. Parties have all agreed that he is fit and proper," the judge stated. Ghoreishi and Khorsand have 30 days to determine whether they will challenge the judge’s ruling through an appeal.
The dispute also created a heavy financial burden for Scott, who has accumulated more than $500,000 in legal fees and related costs since the trial began in October 2025. Amid the legal battle, the tragedy of Sherry’s passing seemed to fade, turning into a tug-of-war over their 4-year-old daughter, Laila. “This was a tragic case. Rather than celebrating Sherry’s life, they spent time arguing and fighting in this court,” Judge Gill remarked.