The Ever-Escalating Battle against Parental Rights
The progressive movement believes that all children should be trained in their value system. This is why there are multiple assaults on parental rights in education, medicine, religious upbringing, and more. The homeschooling movement has long been a flashpoint for parental rights clashes—and the groundwork is being laid for an increased assault on our rights and freedoms. We are not the only targets, but we will be the most effective force in fighting for the rights of all parents.
Michael P. Farris was founding president of both the Home School Legal Defense Association (1983) and Patrick Henry College (2000) and continues to serve as chairman of the board of HSLDA and chancellor emeritus of PHC. Farris served as the president and CEO of Alliance Defending Freedom from 2017 to 2022. In “semi-retirement,” he serves as general counsel to the National Religious Broadcasters and consults with the Convention of States Project. For over 40 years, Farris has practiced constitutional appellate litigation specializing in religious freedom and parental rights. Mike was CEO of ADF while ADF served as co-counsel to the Attorney General of Mississippi for the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health which reversed Roe v. Wade. Farris also served as the Co-Chairman of the Drafting Committee for the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which was enacted by Congress in 1993. For his work in homeschooling, Farris was named one of the Top 100 Faces in Education of the 20th Century by Education Week. Farris is the author of over fifteen books. He and his wife, Vickie, have ten children, many grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.
