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Home School Order In Custody Case Draws National Attention

By Howard M. Friedman

As reported by ABP, a custody order entered earlier this week in a divorce action in North Carolina has generated a wave of protest among conservative groups and home school advocates. The court sided with the father's request that the three children no longer be home schooled by the mother, but instead be returned to public school. Stories, such as one in the Raleigh News & Observer, quote the mother, Vanessa Mills, who said that the home school issue was being used to distract attention from her husband, Robert Mills', adultery. Now the written opinion in Mills v. Mills, (NC Gen. Ct. Jus., March 17, 2009) has become available and paints a different picture.

In extensive Findings of Fact, the judge concluded that both parents were very religious and until 2005 the family attended a local church together. The Mills' marriage broke down, however, because Vanessa joined, and came under the influence of, the Sound Doctrine Church, described by a number of witnesses as a cult. Vanessa then began to home school the children though Robert was reluctant and only approved this as a temporary measure. The court found that a portion of the home schooling involved communication by phone and web cam with Sound Doctrine members in Washington state. The court concluded that it is in the best interest of the children to expose them "to more than just the experiences that Vanessa Mills desires." The court added that this "will not infringe upon either party's right to practice their own religion and expose their children to the same."

Full post as published by Religion Clause on March 19, 2009 (boomark / email).