Follow Up on So IL Truancy Case

A friend had asked me about this so I was checking around remembering that May 12th was supposed to be the court date in the original article.

I've found an article dated June 10th in the Southern Illinois. Wish I was going to the library today because I had to pay for this one. Oh, well...The Southern was generous in sharing their articles (with acknowledgements) before.

Ms. Harris pleaded not guilty June 9th to the State's Attny Garnati's charge of permitting truancy of her 16 year old son in the public school and later "as a home-schooling mother" The charge is a Class C misdemeanor.

Rotten shame the compulsory attendance age was changed to 17 from 16 or this wouldn't be an issue for any of us, ay?

Hmm...This is troubling if this was also included in the charge. She

is accused of not following through with an established curriculum.

We don't need to use an established curriculum.

Ms. Harris is quoted as saying that Mr. Garnati gave her the ok for homeschooling along with the truancy officer and the asst. Principal Murphey in Garnati's office?!? Still reading....Garnati says Did Not, but that

he was against the idea all the way, but Illinois law prohibited him from stopping her.

Harris said she felt harassed by the truancy officer - that Sullivan was escorted by other policemen giving the appearance to neighbors that there was an ongoing crime at her home.

Shades of Regional Office of Education Bully Boy Dennison and his truancy officer sidekick Horwedel a few years back.

Harris explained she didn't pull her son out of Marion High School for educational reasons, but for reasons of safety. She said her son was involved in a fight with other teens on one occasion and then stabbed in the lip with a sharp object a second time at a local Huck's grocery by the same group of teens.

Harris has 3 younger daughters in the school system who she says are doing fine in school.

And that she has a new job that doesn't allow for her to homeschool now so she's looking at an alternative educational center this fall.

"In a way, I'm going to miss home-schooling my son," Harris said. "We drew closer to one another when we read books together. I think home-schooling's great."

That's why a lot of us homeschool. Wonder what's what with this mess?

contact reporter john.homan@thesouthern.com for any questions

618-997-3356 x15807