Home-schooling standoff (MA Liberals try to get state custody for 'abused' home-schooled kids)

Metrowest Daily ^ | 6/13/03 | Beecher

[pabianice]

"We have legal custody of the children and we will do with them as we see fit," DSS worker Susan Etscovitz told the Bryants in their Gale Street home. "They are minors and they do what we tell them to do!"

WALTHAM, MA -- A legal battle over two home-schooled children exploded into a seven-hour standoff yesterday, when they refused to take a standardized test ordered by the Department of Social Services.

George Nicholas Bryant, 15, and Nyssa Bryant, 13, stood behind their parents, Kim and George, as police and DSS workers attempted to collect the children at 7:45 a.m. DSS demanded that the two complete a test to determine their educational level.

After a court order was issued by Framingham Juvenile Court around 1 p.m., the children were driven by their parents to a Waltham hotel.

Again, they refused to take the test.

"The court order said that the children must be here. It said nothing about taking the test," said George Bryant.

The second refusal came after an emotion-filled morning for the family, when DSS workers sternly demanded the Bryants comply with their orders.

"We have legal custody of the children and we will do with them as we see fit," DSS worker Susan Etscovitz told the Bryants in their Gale Street home. "They are minors and they do what we tell them to do."

Four police officers were also at the scene and attempted to coax the Bryants to listen to the DSS worker.

"We are simply here to prevent a breach of the peace," said Waltham Youth Officer Detective James Auld. "We will will not physically remove the children."

Yesterday's events are the continuation of a six-year legal battle between the family and Waltham Public Schools and the state.

The Bryants contend that the city and state do not have the legal right to force their children to take standardized tests, even though DSS workers have threatened to take their children from them.

"There have been threats all along. Most families fall to that bullying by the state and the legal system," said George Bryant.

"But this has been a six-year battle between the Waltham Public Schools and our family over who is in control of the education of our children," Bryant continued. "In the end the law of this state will protect us."

The Bryant children have never attended public school.

Both sides agree that the children are in no way abused mentally, physically, sexually or emotionally, but legal custody of the children was taken from Kim and George Bryant in December 2001. The children will remain under the legal custody of DSS until their 16th birthdays.

The parents have been ruled as unfit because they did not file educational plans or determine a grading system for the children, two criteria of Waltham Public School's home schooling policy.

"We do not believe in assessing our children based on a number or letter. Their education process is their personal intellectual property," said Bryant.

George Bryant said he was arrested six years ago, after not attending a meeting that the city contends he was summoned to. The meeting was called by the Waltham School Department for his failure to send his children to school.

"We want these issues aired in the open, in public. The school system and DSS have fought to keep this behind closed doors," said Bryant.

Superintendent of Schools Susan Parrella said she was unaware of yesterday's incident and that, currently the school department approves of the education plan filed by DSS for the Bryant children.

"An acceptable home school plan is in place right now," said Parrella. "I was not aware of any testing occurring today."

The Bryant children freely admit that they have no intention of taking a test.

"We don't want to take the test. We have taken them before and I don't think they are a fair assessment of what we know," said Nyssa Bryant. "And no one from DSS has ever asked us what we think."

Kenneth Pontes, area director of DSS, denied that workers have never talked to the children privately, but admitted that this type of case isn't often seen by his office.

"This is an unusual case. Different school systems require different regulations for home-schooled children. Waltham requires testing," said Pontes.

Pontes said that a possibility exists that the children will be removed from their home, but that was a last course of action.

"No one wants these children to be put in foster homes. The best course of action would for (the Bryants) to instruct the children to take the test," said Etscovitz.

The Bryant family is due in Framingham District Court this morning, to go before a juvenile court judge. According to DSS, this session will determine what their next course of action will be and if the children will be removed from the Bryants' home.

"These are our children and they have and always will be willing participants in their education," said Kim Bryant.

[safisoft]

Furthermore, why should these kids be excemt from testing? Why must they be the exception to the rule?

Who gets to set the rules? The state? What if some day they make it a "rule" that parents who teach their children that liberals are evil must give up their children - would that be an acceptable "rule"? Which "rules" would be over the top for you? Or all of them legitimate? Maybe a tax on tea? How about special government stamps for all official business? Those don't sound too bad now do they? Yo, King George, we changed our mind...

The government is poking into areas are not their business, while real crimes are constantly committed. It is kind of like setting speed traps on Interstates - while the side streets are in the hands of rapists, murderers, etc.

[Dark Wing]

FYI

[MineralMan]

"These folks sure do look like nutballs."

Well, Nyssa's a cutie, for sure.

[Lunatic Fringe]

"We don't want to take the test. We have taken them before and I don't think they are a fair assessment of what we know," said Nyssa Bryant. "And no one from DSS has ever asked us what we think."

She sounds like a well-spoken young lady for 13 years old. I can imagine what a public-schooled student would say.

"We don wanna take no test. We took em before and they ain't fair."

[thoughtomator]

It is indeed tyranny. It should disturb the hell out of you how blatant it is and how thoroughly and easily it reaches into ever facet of American life.

[freeeee]

OMG!!! Is that a PITBULL in that picture???

I'm amazed the 4 cops that came with DSS didn't riddle it with bullets "for the children".

[Sloth]

Furthermore, why should these kids be excemt from testing? Why must they be the exception to the rule?

What gives the state the right to impose such a rule in the first place?

[Notwithstanding]

There is evidence that government education system is not a safe place for kids nor a place that fosters learning.

---

Found on the net:

---

One of the misuses of the words "schooling" and
"education" is the common reference to "compulsory
education." That is a misnomer if there ever was
one. There are no compulsory education laws--laws
which require that all children be educated. As is
commonly known, huge numbers are not educated to any
minimum level, including many who graduate from
high school.

[CyberCowboy777]

Tyranny Ping

[thoughtomator]

To me, they look like completely average people. If I passed those people in the street I probably would barely even register their existence... and I tend to be pretty aware of my surroundings (you gotta be, living in NYC).

[CyberCowboy777]

Ping

[the gillman@blacklagoon.com]

Looks like a Wheaton. Probably has such a nervous twitch they ran out of ammo after missing repeatedly:)

[Mr. Lucky]

You'll be glad to know the United States Supreme Court agreed with you in a similar case 32 years ago. the Peoples Republic of Wisconsin threatened Amish parents with all sorts of vile punishments because they deprived their children of the benefits of a government sanctioned education. In Wisconsin v. Yoder, the Supreme Court ruled that the 1st Amendment trumps the Department of Education.

[thoughtomator]

Even if you accept that not submitting your children to the test is a crime (which I don't), wouldn't you say that stealing the children qualifies as an 'excessive' fine under the 8th Amendment (or alternately, as a 'cruel' punishment)?

[TaxRelief]

What on earth looks nutty about this family?
They look like a perfectly normal family.
What don't you like? The dog?

[cmsgop]

Ping

[BureaucratusMaximus]

"We have legal custody of the children and we will do with them as we see fit," DSS worker Susan Etscovitz told the Bryants in their Gale Street home. "They are minors and they do what we tell them to do."

Ah! The sweet smell of public education. Last time I checked, I have legal custody of my child; and I will raise him and educate him the way I see fit. Aside from that basic fact, through the involuntary confiscation of my income in the form of taxation for the funding and existance of DSS and public education, I would conclude that I have more of a say than this hitler-wannabie _itch and all her uncaring, communist bureaucrats! Kudos to this family for having the gnads to stand up for principle, freedom, and common sense in parenting.

[cmsgop]

He is kidding, I believe.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Let me get this right. DSS had no legal authority to do anything with those kids and the police were there and also said that they had no intention of forcefully taking the children. Right?

Okay, my instructions to the DSS busybody would be this, "I will not discuss the matter with you nor anyone you bring. Please leave my property or I will ask these nice officers to arrest you for trespassing. Good bye and good riddance."