EPPiC Broadcast

Recently, the New York Times ran an article entitled “In Hasidic Enclaves, Failing Private Schools Flush With Public Money”, attacking the Yeshivas (religious schools) of New York’s Hasidic Jews. But what’s the real story? 

This week, we talk with Jason Bedrick, a former member of the New Hampshire state legislature, and now a Research Fellow at the Heritage Foundation. Jason explains the tradition of Yeshivas; some teach secular subjects in addition to religious texts, while some schools focus solely on religious instruction. And he tells us the other side of this story - the perspective of Hasidic Jews in New York who want to give their children an education in their religion and history. You can learn more about Jason and his work here. 

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This week, we talk with Frank Garrison, an attorney at the Pacific Legal Foundation, which fights to protect civil rights, private property rights, and to uphold the constitutional separation of powers. Frank is representing a mother in Arizona who has been falsely accused of child neglect and has found her name on the state child abuse registry without due process.

In this episode, Frank tells how his case is challenging the constitutionality of putting parents on a state child abuse registry without due process, and how he’s fighting to give this mother a fair trial with a jury. You can learn more about Frank and his work here. 

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In Arizona, one mom found her name on the state registry of child abusers, with many job and volunteer opportunities closed to her for the next 25 years, all because she let her child play in a safe neighborhood park with friends while she shopped for groceries. How does this happen to an innocent, loving parent? 

This week, we talk with Timothy Sandefur, Vice President of Legal Affairs at the Goldwater Institute.

Timothy is representing this mom in a court case that challenges the constitutionality of Arizona's child abuse registry.  You can learn more about Timothy and his work here. 

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This week, we talk with Jamie Gullen. Jamie is the Managing Attorney of the Employment Unit and Youth Justice Project at Community Legal Services in Philadelphia. 

On August 10th, Community Legal Services filed a lawsuit against the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania over Pennsylvania’s state child abuse registry. When child abuse investigations are opened, parents are automatically placed on the registry, regardless of whether they have actually been convicted of child abuse. Jamie is the lead attorney on the lawsuit, and today she explains how Pennsylvania’s child abuse registry violates due process for parents. 

You can learn more about Jamie’s work here. 

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This week’s episode features an interview with Jim Mason, president of the Home School Legal Defense Association. Jim has represented homeschooling families in a wide range of challenging situations and has set precedents that have expanded freedom for the homeschool community. Today, he tells us about HSLDA’s work in protecting the right of parents to teach their children at home.

Plus, learn about the future of the parental rights movement and why families choose to school their children at home. 

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Welcome back to the EPPiC Broadcast! We’re kicking off our fifth season by talking with Kathleen Creamer, managing attorney of the Family Advocacy Unit at Community Legal Services in Philadelphia.

Despite the life-altering consequences of CPS investigations, up to losing their children forever, many parents go to court completely unrepresented by any legal counsel. The system is particularly harsh on low-income families and families of color. Kathleen works to give high-quality legal aid to families caught up in child welfare investigations in Pennsylvania. 

Kathleen also breaks down how anonymous child abuse hotlines and central registries for child abusers, while ostensibly intended to protect children, often do more harm than good to innocent families. Plus, hear about a new bill in Pennsylvania that threatens parents with compulsory drug screenings based only on an anonymous hotline call. 

You can learn more about Kathleen’s work on the CLS website, and you can hear more from her on her Twitter. Also check out Community Legal Services’ podcast, How Is That Legal?.

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This week, Will talks with Julie Gunlock, director of the Independent Women’s Network and IWF’s Center for Progress and Innovation. Before joining IWF, Julie served as a Professional Staff Member on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and on the House Homeland Security Committee. 

Julie tells us about the importance of school choice, how parents can advocate for their rights with local school boards, and how to get organized with like-minded parents to affect change. 

Julie also hosts the Bespoke Parenting Hour—a podcast that explores parenting issues and encourages parents to custom tailor their parenting to best fit them, their families, and their kids!

Note: this episode concludes Season 4 of the EPPiC Broadcast! We'll be back on August 9th, 2022. In the meantime, you can always listen through our archives. 

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This week, we talk with John Rosemond, a parenting expert who has worked with families, children, and parents since 1971. His parenting advice column is published in over 225 newspapers across the country, and he’s the author of over 15 books on parenting. John is also a Parental Rights Foundation board member. 

In this episode, John sits down with Will Estrada to discuss good parenting techniques, current parental rights issues, and what parents can do to help their children grow into strong, independent adults. 

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This week, we talk with Tony Kinnet, who made headlines for posting a video about the school he worked at teaching Critical Race Theory. Now, Tony is the Executive Director of the Chalkboard Review, an education commentary website that promotes diverse views in education. 

Tony tells us about what prompted him to post the now-viral video, what the reaction to it was, and why he believes so strongly that transparency and parental choice matters in education. 

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This week, we talk with Brad Dacus, founding president of the Pacific Justice Institute, a non-profit legal defense organization specializing in the defense of religious liberties, parental rights, and other civil liberties. Brad served as Legislative Assistant to U.S. Senator Phil Gramm and then received his juris doctorate from the University of Texas School of Law. He went on to found the Pacific Justice Institute in 1997.

Brad tells us about the work of the Pacific Justice Institute, and some of the most pivotal cases that he’s worked on. 

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