Home-school parents can refuse visits from school authorities, 
Massachusetts' highest court ruled. School officials in Lynn, 
Mass., have no right to visit homes to see how parents teach 
their children, the Supreme Judicial Court ruled Dec. 16. No 
state law says school districts can require home visits, the 
court said, and re-emphasized parents' rights to educate their 
children in the best way they see fit, the Boston Globe said. 
...The ruling is expected to clarify home-school procedures for 
families trying to understand the state's vaguely written laws 
and court rulings. Some Massachusetts school districts have had 
the requirement for home visits on their books, but did not 
enforce it, and other districts that did not have the requirement 
would ask parents for home visits, the newspaper said. Some 
parents who were unsure of their rights agreed to allow the 
inspectors. 
...The case began in 1991, when Stephen and Lois Pustell sued the 
Lynn School Committee, which required home schoolers to be 
observed periodically by school officials. Michael and Virginia 
Brunelle faced criminal charges in Lynn in 1994 when they 
objected to home visits and refused to submit their educational 
plans. Criminal charges were dropped, and the couples challenged 
Lynn's policy in the federal and state courts. The numbers of 
home schoolers statewide have quadrupled in 10 years to about 
4,500. 
"Reprinted with permission from Religion Today, http://www.ReligionToday.com."
              
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