Now that I think about it, it might be more accurate to say that she didn't offer her name. I really don't think she ever said what her name or position was. She just said she was with RRISD, responding to a report about children out during school hours. How very unprofessional.
Keep us updated. The whole thing smells fishy to me. If it were just about kids out during the day, how did she know which door to ring with her demands?
Here's my advice to Carol and anybody else put in this situation, FWIW:
BE SURE that this turns into a headache for RRISD, and BE SURE that the unprofessional woman who arrived on your doorstep endures professional discomfort for this. Often we let these things go in the interest of getting on with our lives. But when that happens, the system that lets it happen and the individuals who make it happen (whether from malice, megalomania, ignorance, simple error, or whatever) don't CHANGE.
The upshot here is that RRISD must ensure that it doesn't do this again -- EVER. If that means a reprimand for its employee, so be it -- she deserves it. Maybe she's a quality person who just made a mistake in this one case. That's fine. But she must suffer SOME kind of reprisal for it. Otherwise, there's just too much risk that the same mistake will be repeated, with (a) other law-abiding homeschoolers dragged through the same nonsense, and (b) RRISD continuing blithely to violate norms without any penalty -- or perhaps even without knowing that the violations are going on.
The short version: make sure this goes on the RRISD's "permanent record." This isn't the sort of mistake that should EVER happen.
That is just horrendous. I feel so bad for your friend.
I think it's very important for all homeschoolers to know their rights, and although it sounds paranoid, important to plan for events such as these. To play out in your mind what you would do.
Number one, you do NOT have to let them into your home and you don't have to show them anything unless they've shown up with a legal warrant.
Number two, if you have a video camera, get it out and film them. If not, get pen and paper and write down every word they say if they won't just leave when you tell them to go.
There are websites out there to help people with situations like this, and there is also NHELD. (http://www.nheld.com/)
This is homeschooling legal defense open to all, regardless of religion or lack of it, unlike H$LDA who I wouldn't join if they paid me.
I hope no one else bothers your friend.
Man, that's horrible. I think I'd be asking the school district about this person - whether or not she left her name. It's unconscionable that the school district would have somebody like this working there. The fact that she didn't offer her name or her badge for inspection by your friend speaks volumes.
Thanks for all the support! I do intend to make a big stink about this.
I have to say though, that I do consider myself to be well-informed of my rights. You could say that I caved due to extreme fatigue from being up all night with sick kids, but I'm not sure I would have done much better on a full night's sleep. I think I could see more of my husband's hair turning gray on the spot when I told him about the visit. We've been reading all of our legal material again and printing copies to highlight and put all over the bulletin board in our front hallway. Though it sounds silly, it might almost be better to actually role-play to the point of memorization than to depend on your ability to think on your feet under stress.
In another lifetime as an apartment manager, I routinely faced down intense situations involving all kinds of domestic violence, various kinds of unsavory criminal activities, fires, evictions, going to court, dealing with contractors. I don't think of myself as someone who folds easily. But I did.
At the moment, there are attorneys looking into this on my behalf so I don't have to be tough in person. I'm not finished and I'm really mad. I'll keep you posted.
In all my years of homeschooling I've never heard of such a thing. Somthing ain't right here.
please do keep us posted. When I did home schooling, it was overseas, so I never had to deal with anything remotely like this. I can imagine it would be a bit scary, coming unexpectedly like that.
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