The Waterbury Case and Its Misguided Fallout
State Failure, Not Homeschooling, Caused the Tragedy
In the aftermath of the deeply troubling Waterbury captivity case, Connecticut officials and media voices have begun calling for stricter regulation of the homeschooling community. On the surface, it may seem like a reasonable reaction to a horrifying event. But scratch beneath that surface, and you’ll find something much more dangerous than proposed paperwork and policy changes.
This isn’t just about homeschooling.
Presumption of Innocence Is Under Threat
What’s truly in the crosshairs is the presumption of innocence, due process of law, the sanctity of the family, and the constitutional limits of state power. If Connecticut proceeds down this path, it won’t just only be homeschoolers who lose. It will be every citizen who values liberty, privacy, and the rule of law.
State Failure, Not Homeschooling, Caused the Tragedy
The facts of the Waterbury case are not in dispute: a young man was found emaciated and confined, having allegedly endured years of abuse. But this wasn’t a secret because he was homeschooled. It was a secret because the state failed—repeatedly and publicly—to act on clear signs of danger. While he was still enrolled in public school, teachers raised the alarm. Police conducted a welfare check. Reports were filed with the Department of Children and Families. And yet, nothing happened.
That is the real scandal.
Redirecting Blame Away from Failing Institutions
Instead of reckoning with these institutional breakdowns, some lawmakers and media voices are shifting their attention, not toward reforming those agencies, but toward regulating thousands of innocent families—the vast majority of whom are deeply committed to their children’s well-being.
What’s Really at Stake for All Americans
Constitutional Freedoms Are Being Redefined
The implications reach far beyond education policy.
If the state can use the crimes of one to justify surveillance of all, we no longer live in a society governed by the presumption of innocence. If a child’s removal from public school becomes grounds for state oversight, then we no longer own our homes, raise our children, or educate according to conscience. We merely operate under license, until the government says otherwise. If a citizen must prove to the state that they are not a threat before they can exercise a right, then that right has become a privilege—one that can be revoked.
These are not just homeschool issues. They are American issues. They strike at the core of our constitutional framework and the cultural fabric that binds us as a free society.
Homeschooling as a Scapegoat for Government Overreach
The Danger of Expanding Government Suspicion
Homeschooling is simply the current lightning rod that attracts the growing tension between government and liberty. The logic being introduced here, that private choice demands public suspicion, can easily extend into other areas:
- Will parents who opt out of vaccines be subject to home visits?
- Will families who reject certain curriculum content be labeled “noncompliant”?
- Will political or religious convictions eventually trigger the same scrutiny?
Today Homeschoolers, Tomorrow… Everyone?
Freedom erodes incrementally, and usually in response to crises. That’s why now is the time to raise concerns! Not just for homeschooling families, but also for all who believe in limited government, due process, and the sacred duty entrusted to parents by God.
The False Promise of Sacrificing Liberty for Safety
The Misguided “Greater Good” Argument
During the hearing, Representative Mary Welander remarked, “there’s the idea . . . of doing whether it’s called a sacrifice, or actions done for the greater good.” Her implication was clear: homeschool families should be willing to sacrifice a measure of their freedom in hopes that doing so would increase the safety of others.
But in a nation founded by brave souls who willingly sacrificed safety to secure freedom—our Founding Fathers—such a statement is both ironic and tone-deaf. It demonstrates a dangerous reversal of American principles. The Founders understood what Representative Welander’s statement seems to forget: freedom is not a risk to be mitigated but a virtue to be defended.
What the Founding Fathers Understood About Freedom
As Benjamin Franklin famously warned, “They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.”
The brave homeschool families of Connecticut are not resisting oversight out of stubbornness. They are holding the line for the higher principle by preserving liberty and not giving in to fear. Their courage ensures that the future of education in this country remains not only free, but also just.
A Better Solution: Reform the System, Not Families
Strengthen Agencies, Not Regulations
We must redirect reform efforts where they belong: toward the agencies and systems that failed. The solution is not to burden innocent families with oversight but to ensure that existing protections are enforced, and institutional accountability is strengthened. That means:
- Strengthening agency coordination
- Training professionals to recognize real danger
- Enforcing laws already on the books
- Focusing on individualized warning signs rather than blanket suspicion
Justice is not served by scapegoating the innocent. It is secured by courageous reform, grounded in truth.
Conclusion: This Is About More Than Homeschooling
Though public outcry around the Waterbury case may be cooling, the arguments that were raised, and the quickness with which suspicion turned toward innocent families, signal a legitimate threat. This is not a fleeting controversy; it is a revealing moment, one that calls for us to remain vigilant in the years to come.
If we allow this moment to become a referendum on homeschooling, we will miss the deeper story and risk unraveling the very freedoms that define us.
Because this is not just about education.
Freedom Is a Legacy, Not a Liability
This is a test of our identity as a free people—whether we believe freedom is a legacy to defend or a liability to manage.
Let’s not make that trade.
Read Lauren Gideon’s other articles.
Written by:
