Does a man have the right to a child he has never contributed to before finiancially or emotional?

I can't imagine any court with allow your child to be around him without supervised visitation. Since he is the Father he does have some rights but not many in his case.

Wow! well let me first tell you that (Reunification) is just short legal term for custody, guardianship, adoption, so don't let the girlfriend throw big words out to try to intimidate you. She may be a child advocate for fathers rights, but even they have to follow the legal laws. You were never married to the father, but because he is on the childs birth certificate that only gives him the right to file for joint custody and or visitation, the father does not automanitically get the rights to see the child, he only has the right to file for his rights. There are several things I would do here, first of all file for child support, he wants rights let him start by getting the court to order him to pay child support, and in some states you can go back from the time the child was born. His girlfriend is so smart maybe she should tell him about your rights as well. When you file for child support he may back off very quickly. If he does not then if he files then you can get all the evidence that you have, like his being on probation, and parole, evidence of any charges that were bought against him in the past for child endangerment. It is always best to have an attorney if at all possible, but if you can not afford one you can contact legal aide they go by income and they handle family law, and can be found in the blue pages of your phone book under government. The court may not grant him visitations, but the court could grant him supervised visits.