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Abuse case prompts rethink of homeschool laws
World Net Daily ^ | February 12, 2005

Posted on 2/12/2005, 1:04:39 PM by Mikey

After the arrest of a man accused of abusing a daughter who had not been in school in five years, Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano said she plans to examine the state's laws on homeschooling.

The Tucson man, who's name has been withheld to protect the daughter's identity, was arrested Tuesday and accused of sexually abusing his 14-year-old daughter while holding her captive in his home for more than a year.

KGUN-TV in Tucson, an ABC affiliate, notes the popularity of homeschooling in Arizona, which legally requires only filling out a simple affadavit.

"With no accountability and irresponsible parents, it's easy to see how children can get 'lost,'" said a report by the station.

Napolitano said of the case: "The homeschooling aspect is really one of the many aspects I think we need to go back ... how could this happen in our town? How could this happen in our state?"

County School Superintendent Kim Fields acknowledged there are states with far stricter rules on homeschooling, with some requiring proof of curriculum, annual testing and professional evaluation.

But Fields pointed out there are children in public schools being abused.

"You can't stop abuse by changing an education setting," Fields said.

The suspect signed the required affadavit in 1999, according to KGUN, but the 14-year-old told police she never was homeschooled.

Would stricter laws have changed anything?

"We have 3,195 affidavits on file in this office of homeschoolers right now," said Fields. "I don't know how you monitor that."

The Tucson Citizen reported five complaints against the father were filed prior to June 2001, but none were substantiated.

The complaints included allegations of physical and emotional abuse.

The girl was kept in a locked room in the family's house and fed little while in a bathroom, the Citizen reported, quoting authorities. She weighed 97 pounds at 5 feet 6 inches tall.

The 14-year-old and the two daughters of the man's girlfriend, ages 8 and 10, are in CPS custody.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; US: Arizona
KEYWORDS: cpswatch; homeschool; homeschooled; homeschooling
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Now while I feel for this child and I believe her father should arrested and charged, what does her fathers abuse have to do with home schooling? Is the STATE saying that if the child wasn't home-schooled the abuse would've never occurred? That home-schooling some how caused the abuse?

There are all sorts of nut cases abusing (true abuse, not someone spanking their child for a legitimate reason and the STATE, ACLU and every other a'hole in the socialistic PC speaking world calling it abuse) their (and other) children that have nothing to do with home schooling. Do we make people get permission to transport their children in their automobiles because some nut abused a child in one?

Maybe everyone should get governmental permission (I.E., a license) to bring their children to grandma's house because some nut grandfather abused his grand-child.

This is just another excuse for the STATE to stick its socialistic nose into the private affairs of the people.

1 posted on 2/12/2005, 1:04:40 PM by Mikey
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To: Mikey

Don't worry. The Arizona HS Assn. will be all over this.


2 posted on 2/12/2005, 1:10:32 PM by clee1 (Islam is a deadly plague; liberalism is the AIDS virus that prevents us from defending ourselves.)
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To: Mikey
This is just another excuse for the STATE to stick its socialistic nose into the private affairs of the people.

I agree with you.......and I'm not a homeschooler.

There seems to have been a recent rise in th number of female teachers seducing male students.......should females not be permited to teach males students because of a few weirdos?

No system is flawless, and there are going to be bad apples no matter the situation....but punishing the vast majority because of "pssibilities" is utterly ridiculous.

3 posted on 2/12/2005, 1:11:09 PM by Gabz (Anti-smoker gnatzies...small minds buzzing in your business..............SWAT'EM)
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To: Mikey

I've just read of a case where a female teacher sexually enticed a young male student. Can't have that. We need to pass new laws to control teachers--maybe shut the public schools down altogether...


4 posted on 2/12/2005, 1:12:48 PM by ultima ratio
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To: Mikey
yes, and it's playing politics with people's lives....that sort of do-gooder mentality that interferes because it "knows better" than all of us out here.

i also really LOVE the mentality that, if one person did something like this, then we have to pass some sort of RULE or LAW to prevent everyone else, even if it's a million people to one anecdotal case, that will govern the behavior of all of them..iow, to make their lives miserable because one pervert got away with something.

5 posted on 2/12/2005, 1:13:29 PM by wildwood
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To: Gabz

I agree with you guys, even if she had been in publik skool, he would have taken her out of sckool and done the same thing to her regardless. Those perps don't care about any laws and he would have done what he could to her no matter what. Those libs don't get the basic point that a criminal doesn't care about any laws/safety/rules. The criminal is going to do what they can to do what they will no matter what is in their way, and the only way to discourage them is by executing.


6 posted on 2/12/2005, 1:14:27 PM by 1FASTGLOCK45
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To: 1FASTGLOCK45

That is exactly what I was trying to say, thank you.


7 posted on 2/12/2005, 1:17:15 PM by Gabz (Anti-smoker gnatzies...small minds buzzing in your business..............SWAT'EM)
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To: Gabz

Glad i could execute the correct words :)


8 posted on 2/12/2005, 1:18:29 PM by 1FASTGLOCK45
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To: 1FASTGLOCK45

If only this had happened in an SUV then homeschooling would never have been mentioned-- they'd have said the SUV did it.


9 posted on 2/12/2005, 1:28:55 PM by expat_panama
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To: Mikey
People that disagree with homeschooling will latch on to any reason to say it doesn't work, regardless of any information to the contrary. This guy is sick. He would have molested his daughter whether she went to public school or was home schooled. Pedophiles look for opportunity, hence all of the teachers in the news recently lusting after young boys.
10 posted on 2/12/2005, 1:43:31 PM by Millicent_Hornswaggle
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To: Mikey
how could this happen in our town? How could this happen in our state?"

TRANSLATED:

We need more laws. Dammit! we need to restrict more freeedoms!
11 posted on 2/12/2005, 1:47:26 PM by Bear_Slayer
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To: Gabz
but punishing the vast majority because of "pssibilities" is utterly ridiculous.

It's democrat ideology 101
12 posted on 2/12/2005, 1:49:02 PM by Bear_Slayer
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To: Millicent_Hornswaggle
People that disagree with homeschooling will latch on to any reason to say it doesn't work, regardless of any information to the contrary.

A sad, but true statement.

13 posted on 2/12/2005, 1:52:44 PM by Gabz (Anti-smoker gnatzies...small minds buzzing in your business..............SWAT'EM)
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To: Bear_Slayer

Dang, I must have missed that semester.


14 posted on 2/12/2005, 1:53:12 PM by Gabz (Anti-smoker gnatzies...small minds buzzing in your business..............SWAT'EM)
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To: 1FASTGLOCK45
"The criminal is going to do what they can to do what they will no matter what is in their way, and the only way to discourage them is by executing."

The same with these ridiculous gun laws. Blaming the tool (I.E., gun) used in the commission of a crime instead of the one using the tool (I.E., gun) .

I've said it many times and I'll keep saying it. Are there laws against stealing? Yet criminals still steal. Are there laws against rape? Yet rapist still rape. Are there laws against murder? Yet people still murder. No matter what law is past, a criminal will not obey it (hence the term criminal). So instead of criminalizing the gun, car, whatever used in the commission of the crime and the constant excuses for the criminals behavior. Maybe its time for the liberals to realize that someone will commit a crime whether or not a gun, car, knife, etc is available or not.

15 posted on 2/12/2005, 1:57:36 PM by Mikey (Freedom isn't free, but slavery is.)
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To: Gabz
There seems to have been a recent rise in th number of female teachers seducing male students.......should females not be permited to teach males students because of a few weirdos?

Good point. But you are forgetting that the government gets to impose itself upon the citizens, not the other way around - you silly.
16 posted on 2/12/2005, 2:03:05 PM by AD from SpringBay (We have the government we allow and deserve.)
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To: Mikey
After the arrest of a man accused of abusing a daughter who had not been in school in five years, Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano said she plans to examine the state's laws on homeschooling.

After the arrest of numerous public school teachers who have been charged with having sexual relations with their students, Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano said she plans to examine the state's laws on public schooling.

17 posted on 2/12/2005, 2:03:17 PM by IronJack
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To: AD from SpringBay

Dang, another class I must have missed :)


18 posted on 2/12/2005, 2:05:16 PM by Gabz (Anti-smoker gnatzies...small minds buzzing in your business..............SWAT'EM)
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To: Mikey
That is so true. When I was growing up, everyone had guns. They hung on the walls on gun racks, unloaded. My dad taught all of us, even the girls, gun safety, how to load and shoot, but to be responsible. There was a time and place for guns. We never had any problems.

My husband is a marine and has made all three of our boys memorize the range safety rules, before he bought BB guns for them. They had to be able to recite them, word for word and understand them. It's like a rite of passage. They know they aren't allowed to touch the guns unless he is there with them. The guns are all locked up and have locks on them. They boys respect that and the guns for what they are. A tool for a purpose. Hunting, not holding someone up.
19 posted on 2/12/2005, 2:05:40 PM by Millicent_Hornswaggle
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To: Mikey
This seems like a politician's excuse to go after all homeschoolers instead of the girls' father.

Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano said she plans to examine the state's laws on homeschooling.

If Gov. Janet Napolitano wants to play that game maybe we should all look at the abuses of public school teachers. It seems that every day there's news of teachers arrested for having sex with pupils, but apparently Napolitano doesn't seem to mind that.

20 posted on 2/12/2005, 2:46:17 PM by Noachian (We're all one judge away from tyranny.)
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