Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Home-schooling seen as possible cover for abuse (BARF ALERT)
The Charlotte Observer ^ | Apr. 18, 2002 | Associated Press

Posted on 04/18/2002 12:26:28 PM PDT by mykdsmom

RALEIGH - North Carolina should examine its home-school laws to see if they provide cover for parents who abuse their children, according to a task force that reviewed the murder-suicide of three Johnston County teens.

The Child Fatality Review Team, which released a report this week, found that home-school laws "allow persons who maltreat children to maintain social isolation in order for the abuse and neglect to remain undetected." It called for a task force to look into the issue to make recommendations to the state legislature.

The team that reviewed the circumstances of the murder-suicide last July said Johnston County social workers tried to protect the children but lacked some tools that could help prevent future deaths from child abuse or neglect.

Brandon Warren, 14, and Bradley Kyle Warren, 13, were found shot to death in their home outside Princeton along with half-sister Marnie Warren, 19.

The review did not cover Marnie Warren's death because she was not a juvenile. The three teen-agers were home-schooled.

Law enforcement officials concluded Brandon Warren used his mother's .22-caliber rifle to kill his brother and sister before shooting himself.

The review team conducts such studies when abuse or neglect is suspected in a child's death or protective services workers were involved with the child.

Jeff Townsend, president of North Carolinians for Home Education, said he didn't see a connection between home education and the teens' deaths.

"We think it's a reach to connect an incident like this to home-schooling in general," he said Wednesday.

"Basically what they're saying is, the potential exists for every home-schooler out there to fall into this trap because there's no government overseer."

The team did not find fault with Johnston County Social Services, which had been trying to work with Nissa Mae and Boyd Kent Warren Jr. before their children died.

The team recommended that county social services departments have better access to state and national criminal background information, something the state Division of Social Services is already working on. Federal law now severely restricts access between states.

Johnston social services workers had pushed the Warren parents to clean up their dilapidated mobile home, which was filled with animals and trash, and tried to visit the mobile home to check on the condition of the children. The Warrens refused to let social workers into their home more than once in the weeks before the teen-agers' deaths.

The Warrens were found guilty in December of failing to properly secure the rifle used in the children's deaths and were sentenced to 45 days in jail. The Warrens also had been convicted in Arizona in 1991 of misdemeanor child abuse.

The state review team commended many aspects of the efforts on behalf of the Warren children. The team noted that social services employees "worked many hours to protect these children."

Earl Marett, director of Social Services for Johnston County, said the review pointed to statewide issues.

"Certainly, they're sort of like lessons learned," Marett said.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events; US: North Carolina
KEYWORDS: ccrm; homeschooling; homeschoollist; sasu
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-87 next last
This is frightening.

Just one reason for me to add to my increasingly LONG list of reasons to get out of this state.

MKM

1 posted on 04/18/2002 12:26:28 PM PDT by mykdsmom
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: mykdsmom
Everyone knows that only nutjobs homeschool their kids, and that's exactly what homeschooling turns kids into: nutjobs. I wouldn't be suprised if Osama bin-Laden was homeschooled. I know Stalin and Mao were, and look how they turned out!
2 posted on 04/18/2002 12:28:10 PM PDT by Pistias
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mykdsmom
The public schools turning out semi-illiterate graduates, and being the haven for drugs, weapons, and gangs, is a worse kind of abuse.
3 posted on 04/18/2002 12:30:08 PM PDT by My2Cents
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mykdsmom
So now all children must be inspected by the state? Must insure compliance I suppose.
4 posted on 04/18/2002 12:31:26 PM PDT by AUgrad
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mykdsmom
North Carolina should examine its home-school laws to see if they provide cover for parents who abuse their children, according to a task force that reviewed the murder-suicide of three Johnston County teens.

Right. And murder/suicide is NEVER heard of among kids attending public schools!

5 posted on 04/18/2002 12:33:32 PM PDT by My2Cents
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mykdsmom
I thought most people homeschooled so their kids wouldn't have to go to school with blacks.
6 posted on 04/18/2002 12:33:47 PM PDT by mdwakeup
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mykdsmom
Hmmm... According to that logic, shouldn't we have seen statements like the following:

North Carolina should examine its public-schooling laws to see if they provide cover for pedophile teachers who sexually abuse their students...

7 posted on 04/18/2002 12:33:50 PM PDT by The Electrician
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mdwakeup
African-Americans, bigot.
8 posted on 04/18/2002 12:37:42 PM PDT by Pistias
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: ncweaver; ncpastor; Howlin; Pamlico; kachina; Congressman Billybob; a4drvr; blackbag; jamz...
NC Ping.

MKM

9 posted on 04/18/2002 12:37:42 PM PDT by mykdsmom
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mykdsmom
Homeshoolers: Guilty until proven innocent.

-PJ

10 posted on 04/18/2002 12:40:48 PM PDT by Political Junkie Too
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Pistias
African-Americans, bigot.

Africans, my ass. And go pick up a dictionary and read the definition of "bigot". To say that referring to black people as "black" is bigotry is stupid.

11 posted on 04/18/2002 12:42:15 PM PDT by Lizavetta
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: mdwakeup
No, so they don't have to go to school with people that make unfounded bigoted comments
12 posted on 04/18/2002 12:43:57 PM PDT by billbears
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Lizavetta
No, you're stupid, stupid!
13 posted on 04/18/2002 12:44:22 PM PDT by Pistias
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: My2Cents
Klebold and Harris
14 posted on 04/18/2002 12:45:38 PM PDT by AppyPappy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: mykdsmom
Related article from yesterday:

Wed, Apr. 17, 2002

Teens’ death review calls for scrutiny of home schooling laws

The Associated Press

North Carolina should examine its home school laws to see if they provide cover for parents who abuse their children, according to a task force that reviewed the murder-suicide of three Johnston County teens.

The Child Fatality Review Team, which released a report this week, found that home-school laws “allow persons who maltreat children to maintain social isolation in order for the abuse and neglect to remain undetected.” It called for a task force to look into the issue to make recommendations to the Legislature.

The team that reviewed the circumstances of the murder-suicide last July said Johnston County social workers tried to protect the children but lacked some tools that could help prevent future deaths from child abuse or neglect.

Brandon Warren, 14, and Bradley Kyle Warren, 13, were found shot to death in their home outside Princeton along with half-sister Marnie Warren, 19. The review did not cover Marnie’s death because she was not a juvenile. The three teen-agers were home-schooled.

Law enforcement officials concluded that Brandon Warren used his mother’s .22-caliber rifle to kill his brother and sister before shooting himself.

The review team conducts such studies when abuse or neglect is suspected in a child’s death or protective services workers were involved with the child.

Jeff Townsend, president of North Carolinians for Home Education, said he didn’t see a connection between home education and the teens’ deaths.

“We think it’s a reach to connect an incident like this to home schooling in general,” he said Wednesday. “Basically what they’re saying is the potential exists for every home schooler out there to fall into this trap because there’s no government overseer.”

The team did not find fault with Johnston County Social Services, which had been trying to work with Nissa Mae and Boyd Kent Warren Jr. before their children died.

The team recommended that county social services departments have better access to state and national criminal background information, something the state Division of Social Services is already working on. Federal law now severely restricts access between states.

Johnston social services workers had pushed the Warren parents to clean up their dilapidated mobile home, which was filled with animals and trash, and tried to visit the mobile home to check on the condition of the children. The Warrens refused to let social workers into their home more than once in the weeks before the teen-agers’ deaths.

The Warrens were found guilty in December of failing to properly secure the rifle used in the children’s deaths and were sentenced to 45 days in jail. The Warrens also had been convicted in Arizona in 1991 of misdemeanor child abuse.

The state review team commended many aspects of the efforts on behalf of the Warren children. The team noted that social services employees “worked many hours to protect these children.”

Earl Marett, director of Social Services for Johnston County, said the review pointed to statewide issues.

“Certainly, they’re sort of like lessons learned, and I’m sure the Division of Social Services and local county departments of social services will work to try to make any changes that would be beneficial to protect children in North Carolina,” Marett said.

Next, the report will go to the State Child Fatality Task Force, which has members from a cross-section of agencies that deal with children. Team members are expected to take relevant recommendations back to their agencies. The task force also can make recommendations to the Legislature.

15 posted on 04/18/2002 12:49:52 PM PDT by mykdsmom
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mykdsmom
Using this logic I must conclude that public-schooling causes 15 and 10 year old children to murder their 6 year old siblings.
16 posted on 04/18/2002 12:50:46 PM PDT by asformeandformyhouse
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Pistias
bigot: One who is strongly partial to one's own group, religion, race, or politics and is intolerant of those who differ.

I don't see how that person's post, which I took to be making fun of what homeschooling critics say, fits the description of "bigoted".

17 posted on 04/18/2002 12:51:22 PM PDT by Lizavetta
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: mykdsmom
Potential parents today should consider this before making those babies: ARE WE GOING TO HOMESCHOOL OUR CHILDREN OR SEND THEM TO PRIVATE SCHOOLS?
18 posted on 04/18/2002 12:52:06 PM PDT by Cindy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mykdsmom
....dilapidated mobile home, which was filled with animals and trash .... The Warrens also had been convicted in Arizona in 1991 of misdemeanor child abuse.

These people may have had problems with the basics, that is, providing a clean, healthy living environment for their children. Some people can't handle fundamental parenting, irrespective of whether they were qualified to educate their children at home. Having said that, I should add that I am as pro-homeschooling as one can be and the proud aunt of two bright, healthy and well-adjusted homeschooled girls.

19 posted on 04/18/2002 12:53:12 PM PDT by mountaineer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Lizavetta
which I took to be making fun of what homeschooling critics say

Give that a minute of thought, given what else I've posted so far. It's just one of those days.

20 posted on 04/18/2002 12:53:17 PM PDT by Pistias
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-87 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson