Home School Heartbeat Radio Program

Jim Mason:
Sometimes, homeschoolers going about their normal life run into misunderstandings with cities that have daytime curfew ordinances. When HSLDA goes to work for members who have been wrongly charged with violating a daytime curfew, we are able to get the charges dismissed. In a recent example, we won not just the case itself, but also a decisive victory for the homeschooling community.

Here’s what happened: homeschooled siblings Kiethan (age 17) and Miranda (14) were on their way to sign Miranda up for dual-enrollment classes at Pierce College in Los Angeles. After getting off a city bus at the college, they were stopped by two police officers who asked them why they weren't in school. Kiethan and Miranda tried to explain that they were homeschoolers and were signing up for college classes.

Unfortunately, the officers didn’t care and accused them of violating the LA daytime curfew. The children were arrested and taken to a truancy center for processing.

It took three hours for their terrified mother, Yvonne, to find transportation and get through the checkpoints of the processing center, where she found the teens separated and her daughter in tears. Yvonne was told that it was all just a mistake. Nevertheless, the family would have to appear in court and pay two $300 fines if the children were convicted.

Immediately, the Smiths, who are longtime members of HSLDA, called us for help. HSLDA was on the case! Tune in next time to find out what happened with the Smith siblings’ curfew violation charge—and how the tables turned on the city of Los Angeles. For Home School Heartbeat, I’m Jim Mason.