Kansas
An Empty Stable Stays Clean
Proverbs 14:4 tells us that “Where no oxen are, the manger is clean, but much increase comes by the strength of an ox.” An ox can help produce a tremendous harvest, but it creates a certain amount of mess in the process. The only places that are never messy are places work never gets done.
A Kansas family who was moving, remodeling and home schooling did not, as you would expect, have a “clean manger” when a social worker made an unannounced visit in response to a complaint that the children were not in school and the house was not clean enough to raise a child in. The social worker ordered the family to “find the paper that said we were registered in this state to home school” and demanded access to the child’s medical records. She then announced that she would be back in few days for a “spot check” and expected to find all the boxes unpacked and the remodeling done! She left the family with the impression that they could lose custody of their daughter if they fell short in any area.
Home School Legal Defense Association immediately faxed a letter to the social worker. We explained the circumstances under which warrantless entries into a home are unconstitutional, reminded her that the family operates a registered private school in their home, and asked her to direct all further communication to our office. The social worker subsequently sent a letter stating that the complaint was “unfounded.”
— Scott A. Woodruff
