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A U.S. appeals court sided with the U.S. Justice Department on Tuesday and denied asylum for the Romeikes. They fled from Germany after they were threatened with the possibility of losing custody of their children when they decided to homeschool and refused to send their children to the German public schools. The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with the Justice Department, in Romeike vs. Holder, that the freedom to homeschool one's children is not among the fundamental rights protected for asylum seekers. The Home School Legal Defense Association, which represented the Romeikes in the case, said it will appeal...

The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals today upheld the Obama Administration’s denial of asylum granted to the Romeike family. The Romeikes fled Germany in 2008 when they were subjected to criminal prosecution for homeschooling. They were granted asylum in 2010 by Immigration Judge Lawrence O. Burman, but that grant was overturned by the Board of Immigration Appeals in 2012. A three-judge panel of the Sixth Circuit heard the Romeikes’ appeal on April 23 in Cincinnati, and issued today’s unanimous decision against the family. “We believe the Sixth Circuit is wrong, and we will appeal their decision,” said Michael Farris, HSLDA...

Fifteen-year-old Daniel Romeike loves America -- his adopted country. But if the Obama Administration has its way, Daniel, his parents and his brothers and sisters will be deported in a court battle over the right to home school. "If I had a chance to talk to President Obama, I would ask him to let us stay in this great country of freedom and opportunity," Daniel told Fox News. The Romeike family fled their German homeland in 2008 seeking political asylum in the United States -- where they hoped to home school their children. Instead, the Obama administration wants the evangelical...

Fifteen-year-old Daniel Romeike loves America — his adopted country. But if the Obama Administration has its way, Daniel, his parents and his brothers and sisters will be deported in a court battle over the right to home school.“If I had a chance to talk to President Obama, I would ask him to let us stay in this great country of freedom and opportunity,” Daniel told Fox News.The Romeike family fled their German homeland in 2008 seeking political asylum in the United States – where they hoped to home school their children. Instead, the Obama administration wants the evangelical Christian family...

Eric 'Himmler' Holder is trying to deport a German family granted political asylum in Tennessee due to being persecuted for homeschooling their family back in Germany. The appeal will be heard on April 23, 2013 at the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. More details on the case hereClick excerpt link for Fox News report and please share it with your friends and pray for this brave family.

The Obama administration is arguing in federal court that a homeschooling family from Germany should be deported back to their homeland, despite what they say is religious persecution. The German government prevented Uwe and Hannelore Romeike from teaching their five children at home instead of sending them to government-run schools, fining them and threatening to prosecute them if they don't obey. When they took their three oldest children out of school in 2006, police showed up at their house within 24 hours, only leaving after a group of supporters showed up and organized a quick protest. But their legal troubles...

“The Obama administration is basically saying there is no right to home school anywhere,” said Michael Farris, founder of the Home School Legal Defense Association. “It’s an utter repudiation of parental liberty and religious liberty.”

Sobering Thoughts from the Romeike Case By Michael Farris, J.D., LL.M. HSLDA Founder and Chairman Having immersed myself for about eight days in writing a brief for the Romeike family (a German homeschooling family who fled to the United States for political asylum), I wanted to share some insights I gained into the view of our own government toward the rights of homeschooling parents in general. You will benefit from some context. The U.S. law of asylum allows a refugee to stay in the United States permanently if he can show that he is being persecuted for one of several...

Rights: The Senate is considering a treaty which says "disability is an evolving concept" and which would infringe on U.S. sovereignty and the right to raise our children as American families see fit. Those who thought that the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) adequately guaranteed the rights of the handicapped to have access to all facets of American life were apparently wrong. The U.S. Senate is considering ratifying the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), which President Obama signed in 2009 and which goes well beyond mandating wheel-chair ramps for public buildings. CRPD doesn't even bother to...

Liberals intent on imposing backdoor globalism < Snip > ... With LOST dead, the new treaties being promoted to take its place include the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Disabled, which calls for government agents to supersede the authority of parents of disabled children and even covers abortion. Also, the Obama administration has begun negotiations on a new U.N. treaty to create international gun control rules that could slowly erode our Second Amendment. The globalist ideologues behind these treaties are either ignorant of or hostile to the universal human experience that problems are best solved by the people...

Via e-mail today July 25, 2012 Senate Committee Vote Today on UN Treaty—Keep Calling! Michael Farris is founder and chairman of Homeschooling Legal Defense Assocation HSLDA, and homeschooling father of 10. Dear HSLDA Members and Friends: After a brief postponement the U.S. Senate has decided to continue to push forward the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and has scheduled a mark-up and committee vote for tomorrow. As we have mentioned in previous updates, HSLDA believes that this treaty, while sounding good in name, could become a tool to restrict our rights as citizens and...

On February 13, 2012, Representative Bob Evans (District 91) filed a bill in the Mississippi Legislature that would require parents to obtain permission from a judge to homeschool their children. House Bill 464 would impose a duty on school attendance officers to collect and maintain unspecified and unlimited information on all children being homeschooled and to report this information to the judge of the youth court or chancery court. This information would be used “for the purpose of exempting such children from the truancy laws of this state.” There is no requirement in the bill that there be any case...

In her first address to West Virginia’s joint standing committee on education this week, incoming West Virginia State Superintendent of Schools Jorea Marple criticized homeschoolers. According to a West Virginia homeschooler who posted to an Internet group, Speaker pro tem and Delegate Ron Fragale told her that Mrs. Marple said “West Virginia homeschoolers need more oversight, better standards, better evidence of progress; homeschoolers have too much flexibility.” Delegate Fragale told the homeschooler that “he’s not sure why Mrs. Marple is so negative about homeschooling. Perhaps there are some new board members who don’t have a good impression of it. However,...

A new study from the National Home Education Research Institute (NHERI) estimates that there are over two million children currently being home schooled in the United States. The author of the study, NHERI’s president Dr. Brian D. Ray, analyzed data from both state and federal education agencies as well as private home-school groups, concluding that there are as many as 2.346 million home-schooled students across the nation. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2010 there were about 54 million children between the ages of five and 17 in the U.S., meaning that nearly four percent of school-aged kids —...

Support David McKinley for Congress Dear HSLDA Members, David McKinley We are excited to announce that the HSLDA PAC has endorsed David McKinley, candidate for U.S. House of Representatives from West Virginia’s 1st District. David McKinley is a friend of homeschooling and a strong supporter of traditional family values and parental rights. Electing David to the U.S. House of Representatives will be an enormous benefit to homeschoolers and to our nation as a whole. The election will be held on Tuesday, November 2. For more information on David McKinley, or to find out how you can help David if you...

  HOME SCHOOL LEGAL DEFENSE ASSOCIATION   J. Michael Smith, Esq. President Michael P. Farris, Esq. Chairman U.S. Census 2010 Update February 26, 2010 Americans from coast to coast will start receiving the U.S. Census mailings for the next census in March of 2010. You may have questions about your rights in regards to the upcoming questionnaires. How can you protect the integrity and confidentiality of your homeschool while responding to the U.S. Census? In this report, we attempt to provide answers to frequently asked questions about the census. What are the U.S. Census Questions? According to the U.S. Census...

In a case with international ramifications, Immigration Judge Lawrence O. Burman granted the political asylum application of a German homeschooling family. The Romeikes are Christians from Bissinggen, Germany, who fled persecution in August 2008 to seek political asylum in the United States. The request was granted January 26 after a hearing was held in Memphis, Tennessee, on January 21. “We can’t expect every country to follow our constitution,” said Judge Burman. “The world might be a better place if it did. However, the rights being violated here are basic human rights that no country has a right to violate.” Burman...

While the number of people in academia who are openly critical of homeschooling are few, every now and again an article will be published in a university periodical which attacks homeschooling. The critics in academia come from the far left of the political spectrum. One such critic, Robin L. West of the Georgetown University Law Center, recently published an article titled “The Harms of Homeschooling,” which appeared in the Summer/Fall 2009 issue of the University of Maryland’s Philosophy and Public Policy Quarterly. Before we answer the specific charges Ms. West makes against homeschooling we’d just like to give you a...

A longtime champion of homeschooling rights around the globe, Home School Legal Defense Association Senior Counsel and Director of State and International Relations Christopher J. Klicka was called home by his Lord on October 12, 2009, at age 48, following a 15-year battle with multiple sclerosis. An attorney, spokesman, lobbyist, and homeschooling husband and father, Chris is survived by his wife, Tracy, their seven children (ages 11–21), and his parents, Ardath and George Klicka. “Chris was both a people person and a goal person. He cared deeply about people, but was also driven to always do more!” says HSLDA President...

“Homeschooling is the sleeping giant of the American education system,” is the opening line of a recent article by Washington Post education columnist Jay Mathews. He’s right. He’s also right when he says, “All surveys of home-schooled students so far indicate they have higher achievement rates on average than regular students,” and when he dismisses the claim that homeschoolers might not be properly socialized by saying, “Homeschoolers go outside often and get just as big a dose of pain and joy and ignorance and wisdom as regular school kids.” Where Mathews goes wrong is his support for a recommendation by...

Following is an email I received this afternoon from the HSLDA: Dear HSLDA Members and Friends, Monday in a Harlem middle school, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice told a group of 120 students that administration officials are actively discussing “when and how it might be possible to join” (that is, ratify) the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). As before, she also communicated what a disgrace it is that the U.S. would stand with only Somalia against such a widely accepted treaty. This is the first direct public statement by the Obama administration that...

A British plan to allow local authorities "the right of access to the home" and "the right to speak with each child alone" in order to evaluate homeschooling families and make certain they do what the government wants is a warning about what could happen in the United States, according to the world's largest homeschool advocacy organization. "On June 11, 2009, a report on home education in England by Graham Badman, a former Managing Director of Children, Families and Education in the County of Kent, was accepted in full by the British Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families,"...

On May 28, 2009 USA Today published a story based on a report from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), which is part of the Federal Department of Education, titled “The Condition of Education 2009.” The headline of the USA Today story was “Profound shift in kind of families who are homeschooling their children.” A few days later the title was changed to “More higher-income families are homeschooling their children.” Regrettably, among other problems with the article, USA Today made one blatant error and one very misleading claim. The blatant error is USA Today’s statement that homeschoolers are increasingly...

Supporters of a plan to amend the U.S. Constitution to include parental rights are warning moms and dads across the United States they already are losing their rights to make decisions regarding their children's health, education, welfare, finances, sex education, access to abortion and even leisure time. "The erosion is upon us," said Michael Farris, founder of the Home School Legal Defense Association, a college and a church and now a dedicated leader in the effort to change the U.S. Constitution through the amendment process to restore and protect parental rights. Eighty years ago, the amendment website notes, "the Supreme...

To no one’s surprise, President Obama plans to ask Congress to spend billions of dollars on public education. As he stated in his presidential agenda on education, the country cannot afford four more years of neglect and indifference. This neglect and indifference, according to the president, occurred despite the fact that in the last four years, the federal government and the states have spent more money on public education than at any other time in the history of our nation. What is surprising about Mr. Obama’s education initiative is his priority on early childhood education. His “Zero to Five Plan”...

Sixteen-year old Helen (named changed to protect privacy) felt humiliated when she was subjected to a degrading physical examination by multiple people after an anonymous report of abuse. When a second anonymous report was called in only a few months later, she put her foot down. She refused to go through that again. Her parents, members of Home School Legal Defense Association in South Jersey, called HSLDA attorney Scott Woodruff for help. Woodruff explained to the social worker and her supervisor that Helen had a right to refuse to submit to another physical exam because the report was anonymous, and...

In September, an HSLDA member family in Sinton was visited by a social worker who had a list of allegations an anonymous tipster had called in. The list included that the family homeschools, that the children are sent to bed “really early” and do not play with neighbor kids, and that there are firearms in the home. The family knew better than to let the social worker into their home and called Home School Legal Defense Association for help. Senior Counsel Chris Klicka took the call and advised the family to let the social worker see the children, so she...

HOME-SCHOOLING: U.N. treaty might weaken families Michael Smith, president of the Home School Legal Defense Association (Courtesy of hslda.org) One of the issues American families could face this year is the ramifications from a treaty called the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). You may ask, "How could a treaty directly affect internal decision-making by American families?" We generally think of treaties as agreements affecting international relations between countries. The U.N., however, has initiated treaties that not only affect international relations, but also the domestic relations of member nations as well. These treaties, sometimes called "conventions,"...

Missouri’s homeschool law takes the sensible approach that paperwork is of little value to anyone, so families can start homeschooling without filing anything. But if you live in St. Joseph, watch out. In March, Shari Egarta told the elementary school teachers for her four children that she would be homeschooling them the following year. In May, she followed up with a letter to the principal. On the last day of school, a school counselor told Mrs. Egarta to fill out certain forms so she could homeschool. Mrs. Egarta patiently explained that she had already given school notice, and was not...

PURCELLVILLE, Virginia, Nov. 18, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A homeschooling family who recently fled Germany has filed for political asylum in the United States. Uwe and Hannelore Romeike formerly of Bissingen, Germany, along with their five children made it to the United States in August of this year. The family has settled in Eastern Tennessee where they have been warmly welcomed by local homeschool supporters and are being assisted by the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA). "The persecution of homeschoolers in Germany has dramatically intensified," said HSLDA staff attorney Michael P. Donnelly. "They are regularly fined thousands of dollars, sent...

The Homeschool Legal Defense Association is helping a family with an unusual, first-of-its-kind application: political asylum in the United States from Germany's oppressive homeschooling laws. The Uwe and Hannelore Romeike family fled their native Bissingen, Germany , to escape persecution under a Nazi-era law requiring all children to attend public school to avoid "the emergence of parallel societies based on separate philosophical convictions" that could be taught by parents at home. WND reported two years ago on the day police knocked on the Romeike's door and forcibly escorted their children to public school. The family fled Germany and this summer...

Commentary by Michael Smith, President, Homeschool Legal Defense Association Since the election of Barack Obama as U.S. president, HSLDA has received more than a few calls from both members and nonmembers. Some are quite concerned about the future of homeschooling under an Obama presidency. First of all, let us always remember that "God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:7). He also instructs us to be wise, plan, and be prepared in everything we do. Despite HSLDA's efforts prior to the election to get an official statement from...

The Smiths (named changed to protect privacy), an HSLDA member family in Miami, received an unexpected note on their front door from a social worker asking them to call the number on an attached business card. Little did they know, this was the beginning a nightmare they would not soon forget. The father, a doctor, telephoned as requested. The social worker to whom he spoke asked to meet the family. Dr. Smith requested that the meeting be at a neutral site at a time that would minimize interruptions in his busy work schedule at a medical clinic. The social worker...

NPR.org, October 22, 2008 · The ferociously conservative Christian right may be an unfashionable bunch this political season, but when it comes to the notion of a need for change, there are no truer or more fervently motivated believers. In fact, the recently founded Patrick Henry College is churning out these family-values crusaders in force.Inspired by journalist Hanna Rosin's 2005 New Yorker article about Purcellville, Va.'s so-called "Harvard For Homeschoolers" (subsequently expanded in the book God's Harvard), photographer Jona Frank put aside her own lefty leanings and set out — with Right: Portraits from the Evangelical Ivy League — to...

This coming Monday, September 29, homeschool parents will be able to pick up a complimentary tall size (12 fl. oz.) cup of Pike Place Roast from Starbucks. This promotion is part of Starbucks “Great Start for Great Teachers� promotion, and is now open to all teachers. HSLDA intervened when we were alerted that homeschool parents were not included in the promotion. We are pleased that Starbucks is recognizing the contribution of homeschool parents by extending their program to us. In order to pick up your free cup of Pike Place Roast you will need to present evidence that you are...

A judge in California has ended juvenile court jurisdiction over two children in a family case that prompted an appeals court at one point to declare that parents had no right to homeschool their children in the state. The opinion in the Rachel L. case when WND broke the story in February rocked the foundations of homeschooling in the state and across the nation, because of its implications that without such rights, parents could be liable for civil and criminal penalties simply for teaching their own children at home. It especially outraged those who opposed California's mandated advocacy for homosexual...

On Wednesday, June 18, a district court in the German state of Hesse sentenced Jurgen and Rosemary Dudek each to three months in prison simply because they homeschool their seven children. HSLDA condemns this court ruling in the strongest possible terms. Good parents who love and care for their children should never be sentenced to prison for doing what is best for their children. Germany is a Western nation and should know better. HSLDA will be helping the Dudeks with their appeals, but German courts have so far consistently ruled against homeschoolers. More information will be forthcoming as this story...

Subway apologizes for homeschool snub.

From HSLDA -- Action Requested: 1) Attend the House Education Committee hearing on S.B. 337, which will be held on Wednesday, April 2, at 10:30 a.m., in Legislative Office Building 207. CheNH and other pro-homeschooling representatives will be attending the hearing as well. When you arrive, please sign up to oppose the bill. Signing in does not obligate you to testify; however, if you would like to testify, you may. A talking points memo will be distributed in the next few days to assist you in preparing for your testimony. 2) Call or email the members of the House Education...

National and California home-schooling advocates are banding together to fight a state court ruling they say could essentially outlaw the practice of allowing parents to teach their children at home. The Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) and the Home School Association of California (HSC) say the court decision, which said home-schooling parents must have a valid state teaching license and they have no constitutional right to home-school, takes aim at the education programs many families use to get exemption from the public school system. "We're kind of in shock," said Mike Smith, HSLDA president. The Los Angeles-based case began...

Weekdays in the Perry household start like those in any other. The kids brush their teeth, dress, grab a quick breakfast. Then, they make their way to school — at the dining room table. *snip* The Perrys are part of a growing home-school movement. In 1999, according to federal statistics, there were 850,000 home-schooled children in the United States. In 2003, that number rose to 1.1 million. Some estimates put the figure today as high as 2.4 million. *snip* Education authorities say they worry that, because home-schooled students aren't required to take statewide achievement tests in many states, including Missouri...

A Missouri mom who was facing an investigation after school officials complained she was homeschooling two of her children has been cleared for now, but lawyers say they will be watching the situation there closely. WND earlier reported on the case against Anita Nicoli, which was closed as a result of a meeting she and her lawyer had with a representative of the government's social services agency in Moberly, officials said, but statements the juvenile officer made during the meeting are triggering additional concern. "We are concerned, based on statements during that meeting, that officials may be arbitrarily launching investigations...

Once again, homeschoolers across the country are facing the threat of daytime curfews. Within the last year, city councils in California, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, and Texas have considered such curfews. Daytime curfews are unnecessary for good order. They are often touted as a way to reduce truancy and juvenile crime, but there is little or no evidence to support this. The impact on law-abiding youth, however, is undisputed: restricting a young person’s freedom to move about during the day creates an atmosphere of fear reminiscent of totalitarian states, and often leads to harassment of homeschoolers. Daytime curfews can be...

A three-judge panel of the California Court of Appeal has determined parents in that state have no legal right to home school. A Christian attorney in Sacramento says unless the ruling is reversed, literally thousands of students in the Golden State will be subject to criminal sanctions. (click here for special webcast starting at 2 p.m. CST) California Justice H. Walter Croskey has stated in an opinion that "parents who fail to [comply with school enrollment laws] may be subject to a criminal complaint against them, found guilty of an infraction, and subject to imposition of fines or an order...

LOS ANGELES, March 5, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Thousands of homeschoolers in California are left in legal limbo by an appeals court ruling that homeschooling is not a legal option in the state and that a family who has homeschooled all their children for years must enrol their two youngest in state or private schools. Justice H. Walter Croskey in a written opinion said, "California courts have held that under provisions in the Education Code, parents do not have a constitutional right to homeschool their children."The sweeping February 29th ruling says that California law requires "persons between the ages of...

As many of you know, the Second Appellate District Court of Los Angeles handed down a very bad decision regarding a case involving a homeschool family. Home School Legal Defense Association was not involved with this case, and the family are not members, which is why we only heard about this case when the opinion was released on February 28, 2008. Since legal cases have many facets, and we are starting from scratch, it takes time to investigate and fully absorb all the facts which led up to a particular decision. We are in the middle of that process, but...

Dear HSLDA Members and Friends: How would you like to save up to $2,000 on your state income taxes each year for your homeschool expenses? Or, how would you like to have scholarships available to homeschoolers for their educational costs? If either of these sounds like a good idea, take a moment to put a call or email in January 24 or early January 25 to the members of Virginia House Finance Subcommittee 3. The subcommittee will meet tomorrow, January 25 at 7:30 a.m. We urge you to call and email to support House Bill 1164 and HouseBill 420. House...

Huckabee Not the Best for Homeschoolers This is something new for me. For the last 22 years, my family has served the homeschooling movement without ever uttering a single word (in print OR behind the scenes) regarding national or state politics. But now that one particular candidate-former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee-is experiencing a surge in popularity that the mainstream press attributes to the homeschool movement, I feel the need to say a few words. Acccording to a December 17 Washington Post story, "It was the endorsement by prominent national home-school advocate Michael Farris that helped propel Huckabee to a surprising...

Home Schoolers Lose Ground with New Law The enactment of House Bill 1724 on April 5, 1999, gives Arkansas the unique distinction of becoming the first state in the nation to add restrictions to its existing home school law. Sponsored by Representative Jim Magnus (R-55), a home schooling father from Little Rock, the new law, among other things, establishes notification deadlines and imposes a 14-day waiting period before parents are allowed to withdraw their children from public school to begin home schooling mid-semester. Why Was H.B. 1724 Introduced? The public school lobby had been working overtime to convince the...