Homeschool Under Fire: The Rodriguez Case

In this episode of the Family Freedom Project Podcast, Tim Lambert dives deep into the Veronica Rodriguez case, where a Texas mother faces truancy charges despite legally homeschooling her son. Learn how this case highlights the challenges parents face in protecting their educational choices, and how we are stepping in to defend parental rights.

Click for the full story

Transcript

Homeschooling Under Fire: Shocking Court Threat & New Update in Veronica Rodriguez Case

Introduction:
Hey everyone, welcome back to the Family Freedom Project Podcast! I’m Tim Lambert, and today, we’re diving into a case that’s got a lot of people talking: the Veronica Rodriguez story.

This case shows that, even in a state like Texas where homeschooling is legally protected, parents can still face major roadblocks. Whether a parent chooses public school, private school, homeschooling, or a hybrid form of education, FFP works to ensure parents rights are respected and protected.  Our team supports legislation that empowers parents and families to make decisions regarding their child’s education and opposes any effort to undermine this God-given responsibility. 

We’re going to break down Veronica’s situation—how it all started, where things stand today, and why this matters not just for her, but for every homeschooling family out there. Let’s get into it.

Decision to Homeschool:
Okay, so let’s go back to March 2024. Veronica Rodriguez lives in Midland, Texas, and like many parents, she decided it was time to withdraw her son, Joseph from public school. It’s a choice we know is legal here in Texas, and parents have every right to make that decision. Joseph had been dealing with anxiety, and after weighing their options, Veronica and her husband decided that withdrawing from public school was the right next step.

If you’re familiar with Texas homeschooling laws, you know that it’s a relatively straightforward process. All parents have to do is send a letter to the school notifying them of their intent to homeschool. Once that’s done, they can start teaching their child at home. The law is on their side.

And that’s exactly what Veronica did. She withdrew Joseph from public school, followed all the rules, and started homeschooling in March 2024. But here’s where things took an unexpected and honestly frustrating turn.

Truancy Charges:
Just six weeks after she pulled Joseph out of school, Veronica was hit with something totally unexpected: a summons to court. Yep, you heard that right. She was being accused of allowing Joseph to have unexcused absences—absences that supposedly happened before she even withdrew him from school.

Now, we’re talking about truancy charges here. Truancy basically means a student has missed too many days of school without a valid excuse, and in some cases, parents can be taken to court over it. And that’s what happened to Veronica.

According to Midland ISD, Joseph had 10 unexcused absences, some going all the way back to the fall of 2023. But here’s the thing—Veronica had legitimate reasons for those absences. Joseph was sick several times, and one absence was due to a family emergency. She’d provided the school with doctor’s notes and documentation.

When she showed up to court, she thought she’d explain the situation, maybe pay a fine, and that’d be it. But that’s not how it went down.

In the CourtRoom
Instead of a simple hearing, what Veronica walked into was more like an interrogation into her homeschooling decision. The judge demanded proof of her homeschooling, asking for things like curriculum details and attendance logs. This is where things went off the rails.

In Texas, homeschooling parents aren’t required to submit their curriculum to a court or keep detailed attendance logs. But it was obvious that neither the school attendance officer nor the judge understood this. At one point, the judge even told Veronica she needed to enroll her son in an “accredited homeschool”—which doesn’t exist in Texas. 

It was clear this was turning into a huge legal overreach. When Veronica tried to explain that what she was doing was perfectly legal, the judge actually threatened her with jail time if she didn’t comply. Imagine that—being threatened with jail for making an educational decision that is in the best interest of your child.

Legal Team Intervenes:
So, what happened next? This is where our legal team stepped in. Through out partner organization, the Texas Home School Coalition, we defend homeschool families against government intrusion into their education. We saw this as a dramatic effort to undermine Veronica’s parental rights and we weren’t going to let this slide.

Our team got Veronica legal representation, and her attorney, Damian Castillo filed an appeal. The goal was to move the case from the local Justice of the Peace to Midland County Court, where they could clear up this mess and get the charges dropped.

But, and here’s the frustrating part, despite that appeal being filed back in May 2024, the case hasn’t moved forward. Why? Because the Justice of the Peace’s office hasn’t sent the necessary paperwork to the County Court. That’s right—it’s been over three months, and the paperwork is just sitting there.

Damian Castillo has reached out multiple times, trying to get things moving, but the case remains in limbo.

Next Steps:
So, where does that leave Veronica? For now, she’s stuck waiting, and the case remains unresolved. But here’s what we do know: once the case finally gets to County Court, there’s a very good chance that the charges against her will be dropped. The law is on her side, and our team is committed to seeing this through.

This case is a powerful reminder of how important it is for parents to know their rights. Even in Texas legal overreach can still happen.

Veronica’s situation isn’t just about one family; it’s about the bigger picture. Parents need to stay informed and be prepared to defend their rights. And that’s why FFP exists—to stand with families when their parental rights, and ultimately their very own family, is under fire. 

Wrap Up:
So, what’s the takeaway here? First off, know your rights. It’s so important to stay informed and, if necessary, get legal support.

As for Veronica, we’re confident that once this case gets to County Court, they’ll be able to move past this and continue homeschooling in peace. But until then, FFP and THSC will keep fighting to make sure that happens.

Thanks for tuning in to this episode of the Family Freedom Caller Podcast. 

Until next time, I’m Tim Lambert, and this is the Family Freedom Caller Podcast. Thanks for listening!