Judge Orders Children Into Public School

Special Report - March 16, 2009
A Wake County judge has proposed ordered a mother to enroll her three children in public school after she had homeschooled them for four years. The decision is part of divorce proceeding for the parents. According to audio of Judge Ned Mangum’s explanation of his proposed court order from March 6 posted on the Raleigh “News & Observer” website, he found “that it is in the children’s best interest to continue their homeschooling through the end of the current school year, but to begin attending public school at the beginning of the 2009–2010 instructional year.”

The children have been homeschooled by their mother since 2005. Each is reportedly performing at or above grade level by as much as two years. Judge Mangum’s rationale for accepting the father’s request to require that the children be moved to a public school includes the judge’s belief that “[i]t will do them great benefit to be in the public schools, and they will challenge some of the ideas that [the mother has] taught them.” Magnum also concluded that while he and the father agree that the children “thrived in homeschool … They can do better in public school.”

The judge also ordered “a mental health evaluation” for the mother based on allegations by the father that she has been “brainwashed” by her church and is attempting to brainwash the children through her homeschooling curriculum. Both parents had until Sunday to submit proposed changes to the court order.

During the 2007–2008 school year, the state Division of Non-Public Education estimates that over 71,500 students aged seven to 16 years were homeschooled in North Carolina. That number constitutes approximately four percent of North Carolina students.

On March 24, Capital Fest 2009 will bring homeschoolers from across North Carolina to downtown Raleigh. The event offers homeschoolers the opportunity to enjoy museums and workshops on North Carolina’s legislative and judicial systems and to meet legislators during a full day fieldtrip.

Copyright © 2009. North Carolina Family Policy Council. All rights reserved.