• May 27, 2020—How Can We Protect Families From Judges Who Refuse to Follow the Law?
  • May 13, 2020—Do Modern-Day Progressives Hate Homeschooling?

May 27, 2020

How Can We Protect Families From Judges Who Refuse to Follow the Law?

Families in Texas are under assault. The need to protect the right of parents to direct the care, control and upbringing of their children is most apparent in CPS cases.

Each year, thousands of Texas families are investigated by Child Protective Services (CPS) on the basis of anonymous allegations. CPS aids thousands of children who are in horrible circumstances and in dire need of help. However, when CPS removes a child unnecessarily, there can be devastating consequences for that child.

The Texas Family Code has numerous safeguards designed to protect innocent families in these circumstances. For example, CPS normally may not take a child without a court order. However, CPS obtains these orders through hearings where the family is neither notified nor represented. In other words, a hearing is held but the judge only hears the position of CPS. This is exactly how the Pardo family lost their child to CPS.

In fact, the Pardo family suffered this injustice despite their being represented by legal counsel and CPS being aware of that representation. While this one-sided practice is technically legal, it should be severely restricted in order to protect innocent families.

The Texas Family Code also requires that another hearing be held within fourteen days of CPS taking a child. CPS is required to present evidence at this hearing which justifies the taking of the child. If adequate evidence is not presented, state law requires that the child be returned to the family. Unfortunately for many families, as in the Pardo case, judges often agree to whatever CPS requests.

The legal standard used for these hearings allows a judge to rule in favor of CPS even if the judge, CPS and the family all agree that most of the evidence supports the family’s innocence. If you think that this is crazy, you’re right.

Some judges have publicly stated that they “play it safe” and order children removed, because they don’t want to make a mistake and end up in the newspaper. Let that sink in. Many judges, often Republicans, campaign on following the law and not “legislating from the bench.” Yet, they refuse to follow the law because it is politically safer to do whatever CPS asks.

As a result, very few legislative changes will adequately protect innocent families from a judge who simply won’t follow the law. That is why it is critical for us to be engaged in judicial elections and to hold state judges accountable at the ballot box.

The district judge who refused to follow the law and gave Drake Pardo to CPS for five months has decided not to run for reelection. However, he will likely be seen in other courts as a “visiting judge.”

THSC believes that families have a God-given right to direct the care and upbringing of their own children. We can’t do this without you! Please be sure that you are registered to vote and that you are signed up for our election updates and endorsements. Encourage your friends and family to do the same. By helping to elect judges who will follow the law, you are Keeping Texas Families Free!

Read the rest of The Family Freedom Caller, including Tim’s Weekly Tweets
May 13, 2020

Do Modern-Day Progressives Hate Homeschooling?

THSC has been focused on the more than 50 million children schooling from home because of stay-at-home orders related to COVID-19. We have developed a website called CoronavirusHomeschooling.com to help families with “tips and tricks” about homeschooling in addition to finding curriculum and supplements. Thousands have signed up for support through the website.

Stories of students “thriving” during this time lend credibility to the idea that many families may choose to continue homeschooling for the long term after the crisis has passed. In fact, a recent poll showed that in spite of the difficulties people are facing, 52 percent of people reported that their opinions towards homeschooling were more positive than before. Only 26 percent of people developed negative opinions of homeschooling as a result of this experience.

Meanwhile, there is a huge backlash against Harvard University’s push to ban homeschooling. As it turns out, the public thinks that families should be able to homeschool and raise their children as they see fit.

One example of this pushback is from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. He tweeted: “The risk to children is NOT from homeschooling. The risk is from radical leftist scholars seeking to impose THEIR values on OUR children.” I think many of us agree with him!

We expect that once this crisis is finally over, many families will consider homeschooling for themselves. We want to welcome them to the homeschool community and provide them with resources to help them continue their journey.

I know that things have been difficult throughout these past few weeks. We will continue to pray for all of those who are struggling. We have also been affected but are determined to keep doing what God has called us to do. Thank you so much for your prayers and support. It means the world to us!

We at THSC believe that families have the God-given right to raise and educate their children as they see fit. But we can’t do this without your help! Would you prayerfully consider a generous donation to support the work of THSC? Working together, we will continue Keeping Texas Families Free!

Read the rest of The Family Freedom Caller, including Tim’s Weekly Tweets