Posted on 01/20/2009 3:08:35 PM PST by Sopater
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 knew they were fine. In addition, Klicka had the family tell the social worker that he would be contacting her soon to set up an appointment.
After the social worker left, Klicka had the family compile letters of reference from relatives and friends who could vouch for the care the parents provide. In addition, Klicka drafted a letter and sent it to the social worker explaining that all the allegations were false. Klicka did confirm that the family does indeed homeschool their children and also keeps firearms in their home (although locked and inaccessible to children).
The letter further explained that homeschooling is legal, and that the family followed the Texas Supreme Court’s guidelines for operating a homeschool program. Klicka also explained that the possession of firearms in the home was legal, and that the firearms did not present a danger since they were kept completely out of reach of the children.
The letter indicated that the parents would be willing to schedule a time for the social worker to visit their house and talk to them about their children. Klicka made it clear, however, that the family would decline any request to enter their home and interview their children since the family already let the social worker see, and talk briefly with the children, during the initial visit.
After receiving the letters from friends of the family, as well as the letter from attorney Klicka, the social worker arranged to meet the family later and was again able to see for herself that the allegations were false. Social services has since dropped the case.
HSLDA Social Services Contact Policy
We desire to advise our members in every contact with a social worker and/or police officer in investigations resulting from allegations of abuse or neglect. If homeschooling is an issue, we will represent our member families until the issue is resolved. On Fourth Amendment unreasonable search and seizure issues, HSLDA will advise our members whenever the privacy of their home is violated by forced or coerced entry for the purpose of an unsubstantiated investigation. HSLDA membership benefits do not extend to court actions resulting from non-homeschooling matters. However, in circumstances where there is a clear violation of the Fourth Amendment, HSLDA may, as we have done in the past, choose to take the case in an effort to establish legal precedent.
My bedtime was 8PM until I was about 12 or so. That doesn’t seem too out of the ordinary except in the summer. Where I grew up, the sun didn’t set until about 9:25 on the longest day of the year. I wasn’t home schooled though.
As for firearms...I am getting really disgusted at people who say that it’s “ok to keep firearms in the house with children if the guns are out of the reach of children.”
THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS OUT OF THE REACH OF CHILDREN!
Children will get into everything. When I was a little snot, I would sneak into the attic, into the basement, behind the dryer, on top of the fridge, crawl inside the kitchen cupgboards(top shelf even!), into every private drawer of my parent’s bedroom. I knew about every little tiny thing that existed in my parents’ house. I could empty my dad’s old army foot locker and put everything back exactly the way it was. I could empty my mom’s jewelry box and put everything back exactly the way it was. I knew where every bullet and every firearm was. I knew which ones were loaded and which ones weren’t.
Half the time I coulda told you which page was marked in my dad’s bible and how much money was in his wallet on his nightstand.
I knew exactly which pages of which issues of national geographic had pictured of naked black women. I knew where dad’s stash of “really good” fireworks were. I knew where all my parent’s income tax returns were all the way back to way before I was born. I could tell you where to find photos of my parent’s prom nights that were supposedly lost years ago so that their spouses couldn’t see pics of them on dates with someone else. And I knew the names of those “other” people because it was written on the backs of the photos.
I can almost guarantee you that they never knew how nosy I was. Maybe they had an idea, I don’t know.
He did have it easy.
My dad told the exact story except added that he had to beat the wolves off with his lunch-pail on the way home from school every day.
And many Christian schools which choose to not be accredited.
OMGolly - do we have the same neighbor ???
Is it legal to shoot social workers in Texas? They don’t let you do that in NC.
Call in anonymous tips on the kids of all elected and county officials.
He did WHAT to those wolves? Maybe if he had just kicked them in the b@lls they wouldn't have come back. But in any case, how you accomplish such an act with a lunch pail is beyond my comprehension....
Same here - I was into everything ... found dad and mom’s hidie-hole where they stashed stuff .. never touched it but I knew more than what they were talking about ...
And now, you can’t find you keys, glasses, etc.
He walked through woods on forest roads ... wolves and coyote’s, bears, cougars ...
never heard the story of the lunch pails. I miss my father. Heard him tell about getting whipped with a horse whip, he was suppose to go get the cows, and fooled around to fix the whip, and his dad used it on him.
Many of us grew up in homes with unsecured guns, whiskey sitting in unlocked liquor cabinets, and car keys hanging on a hook in the kitchen. The fact that we didn’t kill ourselves or end up doing life without parole suggests that we’re the right people to produce the next generation of people smart enough not to kill themselves.
My dad had a photo of the three story farm house he grew up in with snow well up into the second story - and it wasn't just drifts. They used a door to the second story porch to get in and out.
He was the youngest of 16 and they all walked both ways to a school over 5 miles away. His parents made everyone of them finish school too.
“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.
“
Tell the government idiot to prove each is an unlawful offense then sue the county for slander and violation of civil rights for stipulating that such things are illegal and represent child abuse. The counties take seriously any lawsuit as they cannot usually afford negative outcomes.
I’m a homeschooling mom, and I can tell you you are right. We won’t stand idly by if Obama and Biden start anything to outlaw homeschooling. Grassroots activism is nothing new to us.
There's a huge difference between "out of the reach of children" (however skillfully hidden) and "inaccessible to children" (secured in a gun safe). Unless a kid has training as a locksmith, a good gun safe will stop even his most determined efforts.
Why the blankety-blank is it anyone’s business, but that of the parents, as to when children go to bed? That’s just a really weird thing to report.
In terms of achievement tests, most standardized test already require the test be administered by someone other than a parent.
My homeschool support group has volunteer moms administer the standardized tests in a group setting for K-12. The moms are required to provide proof of a 4 year degree to be allowed to administer the tests. The moms also are not allowed to test in a class with one of their own children in attendance. Plus there is always a second mom in the room to act as an assistant to make sure the tests are administered according to the rules.
HSLDA is at the legal defense cutting edge for homeschoolers, and they will send out major warnings to their members to get on the phone and contact any/all Congressmen if necessary.
Good luck getting into that. We told our daughter that she'll have to call a locksmith if we both die suddenly.
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