John Woolard, a father of five from California, says the public charter school program his family uses to homeschool has repeatedly rejected curriculum that includes any reference to God or faith, even when the materials meet state academic standards. Woolard told Fox News Digital that the school’s “publisher blacklist” has left his family covering the cost of books and resources that other parents can obtain with public funds.
Curriculum denied for faith references
According to Woolard, any textbook or curriculum purchase that “referenced God or faith in even like an adjacent sort of way” was denied. He said the policy extended beyond overtly Christian titles to works that discuss the religious beliefs of America’s Founding Fathers, which he expected would be considered non‑controversial.
“You would think that would be something that would be non‑controversial, but those curriculum choices would be denied,” Woolard said.
Impact on the family
The Woolards initially chose the charter school program because it offered a cost‑effective way to tailor education to each child’s needs. When the school rejected certain purchases, the family was forced to pay for the materials out of pocket. “If our curriculum choices are denied, then we have to pay for those resources, we have to pay for those curriculum choices out of pocket,” Woolard explained.
Woolard says he asked school officials whether the rejected materials met California standards and were academically rigorous. He received affirmative answers to both questions, but was told the only objection was the faith component.
Legal challenge and religious‑liberty claim
Stephanie Taub, senior counsel with the First Liberty Institute, described the school’s policy as discriminatory against families seeking a faith‑based education. “California has a policy that singles out parents who want to give their children a faith‑based education, and it excludes them from homeschooling benefits that would otherwise be available,” Taub said.
The Woolard family is now seeking Supreme Court intervention after an unfavorable lower‑court ruling. Woolard hopes the justices will overturn the decision and compel California to change its approach.
“What I really hope is for the government or for the Supreme Court to come back and tell California you got the decision wrong and this is the way to correct it,” he said. He added that such a ruling could “break open California for a lot of families” seeking similar relief.
State response
A spokesperson for the California Department of Education declined to comment on the pending litigation.
Broader implications
The case highlights ongoing tensions between state education policies and parents’ desire for religious instruction in homeschooling settings. If the Supreme Court takes the case, it could set a precedent for how public charter schools across the nation handle faith‑based curriculum requests.
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
