As my avid readers
will know, I have been following the legal battles of two families very closely
over the past year. Both families have had an exciting week.
The Romeike Family
The Romeikes are from
Germany, they petitioned the United States for asylum so they could have the
freedom to homeschool their children. Homeschooling is illegal in Germany
due to a law put in place by Hitler in the 1900s. For the background on
this family please see my article: Why
Should We Care About the Romeike Family?
Early this week the
Romeikes’ legal petition for asylum received a death blow. Their petition
had been denied by a lower court and they were waiting to hear if the United
States Supreme Court would hear the case. The US Supreme Court denied
this request early this week feeling it was not important enough to be heard by
them. The next day, the Department of Homeland Security contacted the
legal team for the Romeike family and informed them that they could stay in
country indefinitely even though the court had ruled against them.
I am thrilled for this
family and so grateful that they can stay in the United States and school their
children in accordance with their beliefs. However, I do not believe we
have seen the last of these stories. There
is a reason the government pursued this case to the extreme that it did.
In my opinion, they were looking for a precedent to be set that homeschooling
is not a basic human right.
I am beyond
disappointed that the US Supreme Court decided this case was not important
enough to review. I believe passionately that homeschooling is a right
and that the Court should have been willing to hear this case and rule that the
determination of what is proper education for the children is an undeniable
right of their parents.
Interestingly, the US
Supreme Court decided this week that it would hear the case
of a convicted murderer, who is petitioning the court for the right to keep
his beard, which would disobey the rule of the prison. He states that the prison rule violates his
religious freedoms as a Muslim. I am not
trying to say that this case isn’t worthy of the notice of the US Supreme
Court, but I don’t understand how Christians petitioning asylum to homeschool
their children, stating religious persecution from their home country is
somehow less worthy of the Court’s attention.
I fully expect to see
more persecution of US homeschooling families in the future; the current
administration appears to be hostile to the rights of homeschoolers.
Constant vigilance has been the key to survival for the homeschooling community
since I became an active part of it in the 1990s. I will remain vigilant
and I encourage everyone else to do the same. The evidence is on the side
of homeschoolers, who regularly outstrip public school students in education
level and (though it is hotly debated) social skills.
The Pelletier Family
The Pelletier family
has been fighting for the return of their daughter Justina, who is currently in
the custody of the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families. For back ground info on this case please read:
Hospital
vs. Parent, The
Pelletier Family v. Boston Children’s Hospital, and Pelletier
Opinion Pieces: Best and Worst.
After the recent
public outcry the judge (same judge as before) has decided to allow Justina to
return to her original medical team at Tufts.
Also, the Department of Children and Families has dropped the contempt
of court charges on Lou Pelletier for breaking the gag order. This is a positive step, but this battle will
not be over until Justina is returned to the custody of her parents. Massachusetts Department of Children and
Families is also trying to transfer her to the custody of the Connecticut
Department of Children and Families, at this point Connecticut is refusing to
accept this transfer. There are also at
least a dozen Connecticut legislators that have become involved in this case on
the side of the Pelletier family.
The decisions in this
case disturb me as well. Don’t get me
wrong, I am thrilled that she is being transferred back to her original doctors
at Tufts. However, If the judge was so
convinced that the Pelletiers, as well as the team at Tufts, were abusing this
girl, why did his opinion change so quickly once the public became aware and
involved in the case?
He was sure enough to retain
state custody of Justina for 13 months and the only recent change has been the
public’s involvement and interest in the case.
Call me old fashioned, but I don’t think the 6th
amendment involves the judge changing his mind based on public outcry. If the transfer to Tufts is in the child’s
best interest (what the judge is supposed to be deciding) why did it take 13 months
and massive public pressure for the decision to be made.
I was glad to hear that some media outlets still plan to follow
this story closely and investigate the Massachusetts Department of Children and
Families and Boston Children’s Hospital for ulterior motives, and wrong doing
in this case. I will continue to follow
this story as well.
