Dear Colleagues:
It has been a little bit less hectic this past week as most of the country enjoys gathering with family and friends to express gratitude.  We hope you also enjoyed the holiday. 
  
Despite the relative quiet, Lindsey and John each had pieces in the Washington Times. 
  
Lindsey Defends Parents’ Rights
  
Over at the Washington Times, Emilie Kao, Vice President and Senior Counsel at the Alliance Defending Freedom, and Lindsey Burke explain that parents have every right to be involved in their children's education. As they write, "It shouldn’t be a surprise that parents want government officials to support them rather than exclude them as they educate their children. But not everyone agrees." They go on to explain:
  
Take an op-ed by Jack Schneider and Jennifer Berkshire in the Washington Post arguing that parents don’t have the right to shape their children’s school curriculum. The authors attempt to make a legal argument against parents having the right to direct their children’s education, citing the 1922 U.S. Supreme Court case Pierce v. Society of Sisters. Ironically, they left out a critical line from the ruling, which held: “The child is not the mere creature of the State; those who nurture him and direct his destiny have the right, coupled with the high duty, to recognize and prepare him for additional obligations.”
 
'Those who nurture him' are, of course, the child’s parents. Parents’ duties and rights go hand in hand. To carry out their duty, parents must know what is in their children’s curriculum." 
  
Read the full piece here <[link removed]>.
  
John Rings Alarm on Title IX Changes
  
In the Washington Times, John continues to warn about the dangerous changes coming for Title IX <[link removed]> and how universities handle sexual assault claims on campuses. He explains that “the current administration seems poised to return the Obama-era kangaroo courts to campuses.” Here’s a slice:
  
Such a reversion would not only erode due process rights on campuses, it would endanger victims of sexual assault as well. Without mandatory referral of sex crimes to law enforcement, predators who receive only administrative punishment from a university would walk free.
  
Sexual assault is a criminal act. Accusations of criminal acts should be investigated by law enforcement, not university administrators with no legal or criminal justice training. 
  
Those opposing a return to the 2011 guidance have been accused of insensitivity to the victims of sexual abuse and are said to “want no process or consequence for abusers.” These are strawman arguments. What we want is a fair, effective process that respects the rights of both the accuser and the accused.
Warmly,
Jay P. Greene

Senior Research Fellow
Center for Education Policy
Institute for Family, Community, and Opportunity
The Heritage Foundation

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