Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Court Refuses To Halt Civil Rights Investigation of Home School Group

A state trial court judge in Hamilton County, Indiana has refused to intervene to prevent the Indiana Civil Rights Commission from investigating discrimination charges against a home schooling organization. According to today's Indianapolis Star, the Fishers Adolescent Catholic Enrichment Society (FACES), which organizes group activities for home-schooled children, claims that the burden of the Civil Rights investigation on the small group violates its members freedom of religion and association. The investigation grows out of a mother's complaint that the group refused to accommodate her daughter's food allergy to chicken at a 2008 All Souls' Day Masquerade Ball. The group expelled the girl's family after they filed a discrimination complaint. The court held that FACES has suffered no harm that would justify judicial intervention, even though it has suspended its activities because of the litigation. (See prior related posting.)