Homeschooling harrassment?

Tuesday we’re going to discuss homeschooling and an apparent overreach by school officials in one Kentucky school district.  Apparently, School officials in the district were dispatched to monitor homeschooling families – similar to the way that parole officers check up on and keep tabs on former inmates.

“Just last month, several families in the Paris Independent School District reported being

Tj Schmidt, HSLDA staff attorney

visited by school officials,” Homeschool Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) Staff Attorney Tj Schmidt, Tuesday's guest, (see video below) reported.   “If no one was at home, the visit was marked by a doorhanger.”

One of the markers brought to HSLDA’s attention requested a follow-up.

“Home school check. Please give us a call,” read one of the district’s markers, which was signed by the local elementary school’s principal. Schmidt contends that the state’s unwarranted infringement on the education of homeschoolers is not wanted … and not legal.

“Two school officials who visited parent Jenny Griffith at her home said the district intends to visit every home school family three times this year,” Schmidt recounted. “As part of their plan to help families, the school officials asked about attendance records and curriculum. Before leaving, one official asked Jenny about meeting her child. “

Being intimidated by the threatening and intrusive visitation, Griffith contacted HSLDA attorneys for legal advice and possible legal representation if the unwelcomed home invasions continued.

“I got the impression that district staff could become more difficult if I didn't cooperate in answering their questions or bring out my child to meet them,” Jenny explained. “I tried to handle the situation as civilly as possible – without adding any threat to them,” said one parent.

Join Deacon Mike Manno and Gina Noll Tuesday to discuss this and other matters of interest to people of faith. FOT airs at 9 a.m. (Central) on Iowa Catholic Radio, 1150 AM; 88.5 & 94.5 FM and streaming on IowaCatholicRadio.com as well as our phone app that you can download free from the app store. The program is re-broadcast at 9 p.m.

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