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A school district tried to prosecute a Pennsylvania mom because her son’s health problems kept him from attending school – and the school didn’t back down until an attorney got involved.
The controversy began when Leslie Sacks’ son entered high school and began having anxiety attacks. The mom kept him home “numerous days” while she “searched for a doctor who could help,” according to the Home School Legal Defense Association’s Darren Jones, who represented Sacks.
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She finally found an “out-of-state specialist who put her son on a long-term medical protocol” and who noted that the boy’s health problems were exacerbated by being in large groups. The high school’s special education department was unwilling to help. So, she decided to homeschool him.
“Unfortunately, by this time, her son had missed several days that the school claimed were ‘unexcused,’ and the school charged him with ‘Violation of Compulsory School Attendance,’” Jones wrote. “For three weeks, the school also began robo-calling every day at 10:02 a.m. to inform Leslie that her son was illegally out of school.”
The case ended up in court, where Sacks fortunately found a sympathetic judge.
“So between the judge, the school, Leslie, and me, we worked out a deal that we thought was best for everyone,” Jones wrote. “Leslie would continue homeschooling her son, who was already making very good academic and physical progress at home. Once she finished out the year, she would let the school district know she was done, and they would pass that information on to the judge, who would dismiss the case. The judge didn’t put any other requirements on Leslie at all.”
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