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Mom threatened with jail for teaching kids at home
WorldNetDaily.com ^ | December 16, 2007 | Bob Unruh

Posted on 12/16/2007 5:12:57 AM PST by Man50D

A homeschooling mom in Utah has been ordered by a judge to enroll her children in a public school district within 24 hours, and have them in class tomorrow, all because of a paperwork glitch that very well could be the fault of the district.

The mother, Denise Mafi, told WND that she already has enrolled her children in the district, under the threat from Judge Scott Johansen, who serves in the juvenile division of the state's 7th Judicial District, that he would order her children taken away from her.

As WND has reported previously, such threats are becoming more and more common in Germany, but that nation still lives by a Nazi-era law that makes homeschooling illegal.

Mafi told WND that not only is homeschooling legal in Utah, she's been at it for nearly a decade.

So what's the problem here?

It seems that an affidavit she faxed to the local school district for the 2006-2007 school year, documenting her homeschooling plans, was lost by the district. So when she went to court with her juvenile son to have the charges dismissed (under a case held in abeyance procedure) stemming from a clash among children, she suddenly was presented with four counts against her for failing to comply with the state's compulsory education requirement.

She thought she was meeting the court's demands earlier when she enrolled her two youngest children in classes, and put her two older children in an online curriculum connected to the public school.

(Excerpt) Read more at worldnetdaily.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; US: Utah
KEYWORDS: education; homeschool; publiceducation; publicschools
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1 posted on 12/16/2007 5:12:58 AM PST by Man50D
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To: DaveLoneRanger

ping


2 posted on 12/16/2007 5:13:52 AM PST by metmom (Welfare was never meant to be a career choice.)
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To: Man50D
A homeschooling mom in Utah has been ordered by a judge to enroll her children in a public school district within 24 hours, and have them in class tomorrow"

Or else!

3 posted on 12/16/2007 5:18:46 AM PST by SIDENET (Hubba Hubba...)
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To: Man50D
and the judge initially wanted to issue an order that she was not allowed to move out of his jurisdiction for two years.

If this is true, the judge is clearly out of control power hungry jurist

4 posted on 12/16/2007 5:21:35 AM PST by Popman
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To: Man50D

Another idiot judge enforcing his personal agenda.


5 posted on 12/16/2007 5:21:46 AM PST by ontap (Just another backstabbing conservative)
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To: Man50D

We’re from the government, we’re here to help.


6 posted on 12/16/2007 5:23:03 AM PST by exnavy (God means love, not hate.)
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To: Man50D
>> It seems that an affidavit she faxed to the local school district for the 2006-2007 school year, documenting her homeschooling plans, was lost by the district.

Just an honest mistake on the school's part. </sarcasm>. A hard way to learn that ALL legal documents need to generate a paper trail when they change hands.

7 posted on 12/16/2007 5:28:04 AM PST by vikingd00d
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To: Man50D; metmom
So when she went to court with her juvenile son to have the charges dismissed (under a case held in abeyance procedure) stemming from a clash among children, she suddenly was presented with four counts against her for failing to comply with the state's compulsory education requirement.

I'm not sure we're getting the whole story here. It sounds as if she came to the attention of the juvenile justice system because her son got in trouble with the law, and then they wondered why he wasn't in school.

Does anyone know "the rest of the story"?

8 posted on 12/16/2007 5:31:36 AM PST by Amelia
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To: Popman
That being said, the woman is foolish not to have joined HSLDA or another group with prepaid legal counsel available. She and others like her may have been lulled into a lack of vigilance by the fact that Utah is a politically conservative state where homeschooling has been legal for a decade. However, like many conservative areas, there is something of what has been labeled “red state fascism” in place, where petty authoritarians like this judge are willing to abuse their authority, not unlike the Utah state trooper who tazed a motorist a few weeks ago merely for not respecting his “authoritah”. The "law 'n' order" mentality can morph into a petty tyranny as much as can the liberal nanny state advocates like social workers, MADD types, and health Nazis.
9 posted on 12/16/2007 5:38:27 AM PST by Wallace T.
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To: vikingd00d

My wife has taken required paper work to the school and handed it the the person responsible. Of course it was lost and the system said we never turned it in.

My wife has learned. She now makes a copy of everything and gets the person she hands it to to date and sign our copy.

I hope the home school Mom has learned to keep a copy of anything faxed with the date/time/number stamp on it. She should now have a folder for required paperwork.


10 posted on 12/16/2007 5:42:00 AM PST by PeteB570 (Guns, what real men want for Christmas)
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To: Wallace T.
That being said, the woman is foolish not to have joined HSLDA or another group with prepaid legal counsel available.

Though true. I'm not sure that would have changed this situation.

11 posted on 12/16/2007 5:43:34 AM PST by Popman
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To: PeteB570

Smart wife. I will have to remember that.


12 posted on 12/16/2007 5:52:31 AM PST by rawhide
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To: rawhide
That includes checks for activities.

More than one check has been “lost” in the old days. A day or so before the trip the kids would be told they couldn’t go because they didn’t turn in the money two weeks earlier.

One of the “didn’t turn in” checks had cleared the bank and the wife took that with her. I love hearing the stories when she comes home.

I feel sad for the kids with parents who don’t care.

The little one is in private school.

13 posted on 12/16/2007 5:57:44 AM PST by PeteB570 (Guns, what real men want for Christmas)
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To: Amelia

I was getting the sense that there was a lot more to this story than was being told.


14 posted on 12/16/2007 6:00:49 AM PST by Scotsman will be Free (11C - Indirect fire, infantry - High angle hell - We will bring you, FIRE)
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To: PeteB570

I hand delivered it and had it stamped as I watched and received a photocopy of the stamped paperwork. That way the copy I had had THEIR approval on it.

I used to send it certified mail as recommended by HSLDA, but then realized for the effort it took to take it to the post office, it was actually easier (and cheaper) to hand deliver it. I also got to know the personnel dealing with the homeschoolers pretty well and developed a good relationship with them.


15 posted on 12/16/2007 6:17:27 AM PST by metmom (Welfare was never meant to be a career choice.)
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To: SIDENET

I would’nt put it passed them.


16 posted on 12/16/2007 6:23:27 AM PST by HANG THE EXPENSE (Defeat liberalism, its the right thing to do for America.)
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To: Amelia

Whether he was in trouble with the law or not is irrelevant to the school’s losing the paperwork.

A *clash between children* could mean anything. Some other parent could have not liked the way her son looked at her little darling, or he could have pulled a knife on someone. Who knows?


17 posted on 12/16/2007 6:41:14 AM PST by metmom (Welfare was never meant to be a career choice.)
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To: Amelia

BTW, threatening her with the removal of her children for a paperwork issue and attempting to prevent her from being able to move for two years, is a gross overreaction.

I have to wonder why the district or the judge simply don’t ask her to fill it out again.


18 posted on 12/16/2007 6:44:12 AM PST by metmom (Welfare was never meant to be a career choice.)
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To: ontap
Another idiot judge enforcing his personal agenda.

Yes, and as the Marxist's consolidate power after the 2008 elections, Hillary or Obama appoint more Marxist judges, the Congress passes more hate laws and anti-whatever laws, the government will take over every aspect of your life. This nation will simply cease to be as founded and we will simply become the Soviet States of Amerika. That simple. Judges will make legal every thing that the Marxists want legal and illegal everything they are against. AND, Amerikans will say, "okay, whatever, what time does Survivor Faulkin Islands come on? Who ordered the Pizza?" Amerikans don't care anymore.

19 posted on 12/16/2007 6:49:20 AM PST by RetiredArmy (Better prepare, come Nov 08, we have a Marxist Commissar President and Marxist Congress.)
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To: Man50D

The mom’s story doesn’t pass the sniff test.

Sorry, but I don’t buy this story. I’m betting there is another side to this story.


20 posted on 12/16/2007 6:59:58 AM PST by TWohlford
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