German homeschooling family granted political asylum in U.S.

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Comments: 12

The Romeike Family. Credit: Alliance Defense Fund.

Memphis, Tenn., Jan 28, 2010 / 05:55 pm (CNA).- Earlier this week, a U.S. immigration court granted political asylum to a Christian family who fled their native Germany after being fined and threatened with losing custody of their children for homeschooling them.

On Tuesday, Tennessee Judge Lawrence Burman called Germany's actions with the Romeike family a violation of their human rights and “repellent to everything we believe as Americans” before passing a ruling that allowed them to stay in the U.S.

Though the ruling has not officially been made available, Judge Burman was quoted by the German newspaper Der Spiegel as saying that the family had “a well-founded fear of persecution.”

The Romeike family is being legally defended by the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA), which said in a Jan. 28 statement that homeschoolers are “a particular social group that the German government is trying to suppress.”

Uwe and Hannelore Romeike decided to pull their children from public school in the southwestern German state of Baden-Wurttemberg in 2008 over a concern that their children were being taught an “anti-Christian worldview.” The Romeikes chose to educate their five children at home, which is prohibited by the individual German state's constitutions.

After fighting with local authorities, the Romieke's emigrated to the U.S. and applied for political asylum in 2009. They now live in Morristown, Tennessee. Uwe Romeike was quoted on Tuesday as saying he was “so grateful to the judge for his ruling.”

HSLDA attorney and director for international relations Mike Donnelly called the ruling in favor of the Romeike's “embarrassing for Germany.”

According to Der Spiegel, in late 2006 the German Constitutional Court ruled that parents are not allowed to keep their children from attending school due to their religious views and said that exposure to other religious beliefs was completely acceptable for children.

In 2007, the Federal Supreme Court ruled that parents could be even be denied custody of their children should they fail to cooperate with the mandate as the public has a vested interest in “parallel societies” based on religious beliefs or worldview.

“There is no safety for homeschoolers in Germany,” Donnelly remarked on Thursday. “The two highest courts in Germany have ruled that it is acceptable for the German government to ‘stamp out’ homeschoolers as some kind of ‘parallel society.’ The reasoning is flawed. Valid research shows that homeschoolers excel academically and socially. German courts are simply ignoring the truth that exists all over the world where homeschooling is practiced.”

Der Spiegel touched on the history of education in Germany, explaining that mandatory school attendance was born out of a right to attend school as opposed to a compulsion. Some have also defended the German government in this situation, saying that parents have a wide range of education options in the country.

Lutz Görgens, the German consul for the southeastern United States, told the Associated Press in an email that “parents may choose among public, private and religious schools” even alternative ones such as “Waldorf or Montessori” and that mandatory attendance allows for a high standard in education.

“Parents have the right and authority to make decisions regarding their children’s education without undue government interference,” countered attorney Roger Kiska, who worked with HSLDA on the Romeike case. “The immigration court has clearly recognized that basic human rights are being violated by the German policy of persecuting home-schooling families. Many Americans are simply unaware of just how bad the policy is. We hope this ruling sheds light on a predatory policy that the German government ought to end immediately.”

Comments: 12

Subscriber comments:

Published by: Steven
Baden-Württemberg/Germany 02/03/2010 11:00 AM EST

I am sorry for the nonsense that my compatriot Ulrich told here in a very arrogant way against US posters on this forum. Not all of us are so unfriendly. 1.) In 1592 there didn't exist Germany. In the territory of today's Germany there existed a lot of little princedoms, dukedoms and so on. Therefore there existed no German Constitution. 2.) It was Dieter Lenzen, the president of the Free University of Berlin since 2003, that stated in a newspaper article in Der Tagesspiegel called "Heimunterricht muss erlaubt sein" (Homeschooling must be allowed) that "Adolf Hitler introduced the prohibition of homeschooling in 1938 for very transparent reasons". Ulrich: please don't blame our country by lying and attacking people of the USA, the country that principally brought us the freedom of the Nazi regime.

Published by: Harold
Clarksburg WV 02/02/2010 11:51 PM EST

Sadly, Germany is by no means alone in its attempt to politicalize education. Textbooks have often been changed to alter history itself...a belief in God is often mocked and the theory of creation is lost and even forbidden to be taught. Where? Throughout the entire Western world including the US. Home schooling is good, but not the real answer to the problem of modern education. And just think...we have not even mentioned the Moslem world.

Published by: Eli
Mooresville/NC/USA 02/02/2010 08:02 AM EST

That is all so blown out of proportion. If the Romeikes have such a problem with public schools in Germany because of their religion, they could have send them to a Christian school. And by the way, Germany is one of the less countries that has religion (or ethics if you consider yourself an atheist) on its mandatory curriculum. I myself had to take religion in all of my 13 years at a public school. I've also heard a lot of comments about the problems of the educational system in Germany (mostly in the upper average rank in the pisa study of 2009, which is really not good) but has anybody considered that US students are ranked below average in almost every subject. Besides they could have legally emigrated to another European country. There are so many other people that apply for asylum but are declined (though they really need and deserve it because their lives are in danger). The last time I checked Germany was a democratic, free country.Every country has its own problems but that's the good thing about Europe nobody forces you to live here. If I wanted to, I could live in Spain, Norway, England etc. without even having to apply for a visa.

Published by: Daryl
USA 02/01/2010 03:17 AM EST

As I understand it, the principal issue for the German Christian family is mandatory sex education, which in Germany is well on the way to be mandatory participation in classroom sex (We are confident that this will take place only under accredited professional supervision). German school children are required to participate in an exploration of sexual identity. They are placed in large groups in a darkened room with some light sex toys (ticklers) for an anonymous mutual grope session. German Federal Law has no opt-out provision. There are academic experts who will testify that ANYTHING is normal and healthy. Maybe not too surprisingly, Germany has recently legalized open air sex in public parks. De Sade would be gratified?

Published by: Ulrich
Braunschweig / Germany 01/31/2010 12:06 PM EST

First to Gabriel Austin Only because you put out the nazi hitter doesn't make your statement better. The law is been based on a speech from Marton Luther and first been included in a german constitution by 1592. On Mary / Fort Worth Wow, five posts and as second nazi hitter. I can only ask you to learn something about our nation. School laws have nothing to do with the state (or by US understanding FEDERAL).

Published by: Ollie
River Grove Illinois USA 01/30/2010 10:07 AM EST

There are people right here in the USA that would love nothing better than to do away with home schooling. I wonder where the NRA stands on this issue.

Published by: Frank
Madrid, Spain 01/30/2010 05:43 AM EST

Thank God that U.S. is willing to recognize freedom of parents to educate their children as they see fit. Governments have no right to be imposing sex education at variance with parents´ principles. Let government stay out of this area.

Published by: Jason
Kenner, USA 01/29/2010 08:01 PM EST

Mr. Shiras your comments make no sense. These people were threatened with having their children taken away from them simply because they didn't want to subject them to leftist indoctrination in germany's 'school' system.

Published by: Paul Shiras
Apple Valley CA, USA 01/29/2010 04:11 PM EST

While I advocate the right of homeschooling, I find that it a misuse to grant asylum from Germany who has freedom of religion and teaches each child in the faith of their family as a matter of policy. Asylum should be granted to those who do not have religious freedom in countries such as Egypt, Iran, Pakistan and China or Cuba. My freind teaches Catholism in public school in hanover Germany. Evangelical Protestanism is also taught as well as Lutherism. This family could have moved there if they had chosen to rather than use "Polical Asylum" as an excuse to come to America

Published by: Jan
Edmond, OK USA 01/29/2010 03:48 PM EST

Wonder just how long they will be safe in this country?

Published by: Gabriel Austin
Los Alamos NM USA 01/29/2010 01:43 PM EST

As a matter of fact, the family was prosecuted [persecuted] under a Nazi era law. Does this tell us something about Germany?

Published by: Mary
Fort Worth, TX 01/29/2010 10:51 AM EST

What does the German policy remind you of? Yes, 70+ years ago, Der Fuhrer would have forbidden parents to educate their children. The State wants to brainwash the young so they can control them. Thank the Lord that the family has immigrated to Tennessee and the judge granted them asylum.

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