HSLDA concerned with more than just homeschool

Author

Griffin S. KellyFollow

Graduation Date

Fall 12-13-2021

Grading Professor

Andrew Lehren

Subject Concentration

Investigative

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Abstract

My capstone is just one piece of a greater investigation into homeschooling in America. For my piece, my colleague Keith Medelis reported on the Home School Legal Defense Association, a premiere homeschooling advocacy group that provides legal advice to its members and lobbies against any regulations they find restrictive to the homeschooling process.

Our goal was to see exactly what their mission is because beyond homeschooling, the HSLDA advocates for small government, religious (mainly Christian) freedoms and protecting its members from child protective services.

A review of 84 court cases revealed that the HSLDA has occasionally engaged in legal battles that have nothing to do with homeschooling. In one case they represented an Army soldier who was court martialed for refusing to wear a U.N. helmet and patch while on duty. In another case they provided counsel for a woman who refused to give her new-born baby to doctors despite the child possibly suffering from life-threatening ailments.

This is a text- and image-based piece for which we reviewed nearly 100 court cases, researched multiple news articles and spoke with HSLDA representatives, legal and education experts and government officials. The images are creative commons photos that I have edited to look more like sketches in a notebook. There is also a video embedded from Youtube about halfway through the piece.

Recommended Citation

Kelly, Griffin S., "HSLDA concerned with more than just homeschool" (2021). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gj_etds/559