On June 1, 1925, the Supreme Court declared, “The child is not the mere creature of the State; those who nurture him and direct his destiny have the right, coupled with the high duty, to recognize and prepare him for additional obligations.” Pierce firmly established the liberty of parents to direct the lives of their minor children without interference by the government.

You’ve listened to our Left Panel’s discussion of Pierce – now, it’s the Right Panel’s turn! Today, we speak with Michael Farris, founding president of ParentalRights.org and former CEO and president of Alliance Defending Freedom; Melissa Moschella, professor of practice and philosophy at Notre Dame University’s McGrath Center for Church Life; and Emilie Kao, Vice President of Alliance Defending Freedom.

The EPPiC Broadcast is hosted by Michael Ramey, president of the Parental Rights Foundation. You can sign up for email alerts to keep yourself informed on parental rights news at https://parentalrightsfoundation.org/get-involved/.

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The Supreme Court released its landmark parental rights decision in Pierce v. Society of Sisters on June 1, 1925—exactly 100 years ago next month. To celebrate this milestone, we’ve gathered two special panels on the EPPiC Broadcast, comprised of parental rights champions from either side of the political aisle to protect our children.

Today, we speak with the Left Panel: Martin Guggenheim, founder and co-director of New York University School of Law’s Family Defense Clinic; Angela Burton, founder and co-chair of the New York City Narrowing the Front Door workgroup; and Josh Gupta-Kagan, a clinical professor of law and director of the Family Defense Clinic at Columbia University’s School of Law.

The book referenced in our episode is Neglected Stories: The Constitution and Family Values by Peggy Cooper Davis. Find more information here: us.macmillan.com/books/9780809016075/neglectedstories/

The EPPiC Broadcast is hosted by Michael Ramey, president of the Parental Rights Foundation. You can sign up for email alerts to keep yourself informed on parental rights news at https://parentalrightsfoundation.org/get-involved/.

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Our topic for today is hidden foster care: a process wherein children are sent to live with relatives or friends in order to prevent foster care with strangers. Considered a “voluntary” placement, in reality it often involves coercion or threats. In one such instance, Su’Leya Williams was a baby girl taken from her mother’s care and placed with a woman who claimed to be a relative, but wasn’t. Baby Su’Leya died in her care.

Today, we welcome Sarah Katz, a Professor of Law at the Temple University Beasley School of Law and Director of Temple Law’s Family Justice Clinic, and April Lee, the Founder of Philly Voice for Change. Sarah and April discuss the requirements DHS is legally bound to in this process, how they are often skirted or ignored completely, and the resulting impact on parents and children.

The EPPiC Broadcast is hosted by Michael Ramey, president of the Parental Rights Foundation. You can sign up for email alerts to keep yourself informed on parental rights news at https://parentalrightsfoundation.org/get-involved/.

Support the show