Parents have been seen at school board meetings across the country voicing their dissatisfaction with the public school system. Perhaps you were one of those parents who tried to represent your student at school board meetings but found them unwilling to resolve issues. Many of them are unable to face criticism and often sit in a rut. Some of them are infringing on parents’ rights, and they have their children removed from school or silenced because they disagree with the board’s policies. My back-to-school ritual is something I believe helps to build a strong relationship with your public school district, rather than waiting for problems to arise.
Many of you are aware that my two oldest children were home-schooled until the second and sixth grades. They then went to private school. After 8th grade, however, there was no other option than public school in my locality. Although I support the idea of public schools, the reality is not always what we expect, especially for religious conservatives. These students can find public schools hostile, especially when there is so much LGBTQ cult programming inserted into the curriculum. Religious parents should hold government schools responsible for the Constitution.
Smart parents can limit the amount of political or cult programming that their children are exposed to by making sure they know from the beginning what students’ rights are and the possible consequences for schools. This will ensure everyone is happy and safe. It is done by sending a letter to the district letting them know that my child has a lawyer. I also ask them to add the information to her file. The lawyer must be contacted by the district in case any government agent, police officer, or social worker wants to speak to my child. This is how it looks:
It looks something like this. Feel free to use my template. Any administrator who gets this is immediately reminded that this is a nation of free people with rights that will be defended. Every school administrator should be reminded of this often. pic.twitter.com/JIDDCNLOVQ
— Megan Fox (@MeganFoxWriter) September 5, 2022
This letter is to inform [student name] that I, [lawyer] am representing him in all legal matters. If any police officer, sheriff’s, FBI, child welfare agency, or other state agents (to be defined by any representative of the Department of Human Services, child protective services, government official, or other empowered officials) is able to contact, speak with, or obtain information about my client, please let me know immediately. My client has been informed of her 5th Amendment rights and will use it until I arrive. I expect that the [School District] will respect my client’s Constitutional rights as a US citizen as well as as a minor who has the right to legal representation if they are questioned by any government agents.
What are you waiting to talk to your children about the Fifth Amendment right to remain silent and not self-incriminate? It is amazing how many CPS investigations have been initiated because of innocent statements made by children to social workers. It is not something you want to happen to yourself. My children were taught from the age of 5 to seek out a lawyer, then to shut down if they are ever questioned by an agent of the state. This is something we role-play all the time. Your child should not talk to social workers, police officers, or any other government agency. This is against the law. The Fifth Amendment also gives children rights.
My child’s lawyer received a reply from the lawyers of the district. It sounded upset and claimed that they were not under any obligation to honor my request. I advised her to ignore the letters. We now have proof that they were informed my child has an advocate. If they ever want to have her interrogated, it’s a win-win situation. They were dumb enough not to honor the request in writing. It makes me laugh. Imagine that argument before a judge. This is the stuff of dreams.
My child’s account was reopened by the administration. They placed a red flag that said “contact administration before any external agencies” and it was a victory, my friends. Mission accomplished.
The letter serves two purposes. This letter protects your child against warrantless seizures by officials of the government. It also informs schools that your child has a legal representative and will be represented in court. This brief notice serves more than simply informing your child that they have the right to an attorney. This notice reminds your child that she is an American citizen and has all rights under the Constitution. It also reminds them that her parents value these rights and will fight to protect them with every legal tool available. These parents are not a pushover. After receiving this notice, the school will be aware that this notice is important. This is because her parents are skilled at fighting. This is the most important and crucial message in this letter.
It states that we expect you to uphold the Constitution and that if you don’t we will hold you accountable. This is the basis for having a discussion with administrators about the religious rights of your student. The usual format is: “My student follows [insert religion].” My student may be forced to adhere to ideologies or other cults she doesn’t like due to her protected religious beliefs. I will view this in the same manner as a Muslim parent viewing a school employee forcing their child to eat bacon. They often understand it instantly when I explain it to them.
The curriculum for any health classes will be provided and I can then pick and choose the activities that my student is interested in. Everybody knows what is and isn’t acceptable for my student right away. When I asked for accommodation based on religious grounds, I was never told no by teachers or administrators. This must be done BEFORE school starts and you are surprised by inappropriate content. It is out there. It is there before it is taught. You can opt your child out.
It is better to not ever need to file a lawsuit. A lawsuit threat is usually enough to stop any shenanigans. If it comes down to it though, be prepared to act. It’s not expensive to hire a lawyer for a letter. It is much cheaper to establish a positive relationship with your school district by showing serious intention and resolve than to try to catch up later. It’s better to come in hot than later. Once everyone has gotten to know each other, you can start the charm offensive. After ground rules have been established, everyone can become friends.
My mother was a high-school teacher. Her older teachers advised her to not smile during the first week of classes and to establish the rules of the class immediately and sternly. After respecting the teacher, you can always soften later. The same goes for parents and administrators. Bullies smell fear. Bullies smell fear. If you have any members of your administration who are bullies, you must confront them head-on.
Schools are not afraid to send parents stacks of paper requesting that they sign this and that. These papers will outline their rules, student handbook requirements, technology agreements, and other details. However, I wouldn’t send my child to an institution where that didn’t give me my expectations for my student and her rights. Failure to do so is a dangerous game that parents play with wonderful people or the most malignant troublemakers. Adam Lowther, New Mexico lost 11 months of his children to a retaliatory teacher.
It’s better not to go into school expecting nothing from the administration. Set your expectations and let them know who and what you are. Let them know that you care about their boundaries and are willing to be involved parents who don’t fear being bullied. It is best to communicate to school officials that any violation of student rights will result in them incurring legal fees, negative media coverage, angry board meetings, and other financial losses. Let’s not get into trouble and be respectful of the principles and rights that this great nation owes every American, even children.
