Texas Homeschool Coalition: Standing Up for Parental Rights
I recently sat down with the Texas Homeschool Coalition as part of their candidate vetting process for the 2026 elections. THSC interviews judicial and political candidates to evaluate their commitment to parental rights and family freedoms, issues that are deeply important to thousands of Texas families.
Why This Interview Matters
With the passage of Proposition 15 in November 2025, parental rights are now enshrined in Article I, Section 37 of the Texas Constitution, our Bill of Rights. That means every judge in Texas now has a constitutional obligation to apply strict scrutiny before the government can interfere with parental decisions.
For the judge of County Court at Law No. 1, this has real, practical implications. This court handles child custody disputes, juvenile cases, and family law matters where parental rights are directly at stake. The judge who sits on this bench needs to understand not just the new constitutional amendment, but the entire framework of Texas family law that governs these cases.
My Perspective
I addressed several key issues during the interview:
Parental rights are fundamental. Under the new constitutional standard, the government must demonstrate a compelling interest and use the least restrictive means before interfering with a family. My years prosecuting child abuse cases have given me deep experience on both sides of this equation: protecting children who genuinely need intervention while respecting the constitutional rights of parents.
Homeschool families deserve the same respect in court as any other family. Whether a family homeschools, sends their kids to public school, or uses private education, the legal standards in custody and family law cases are the same. A child's educational setting should never be used as a proxy for questioning a parent's fitness.
Judicial restraint applies to family law too. Judges should apply the Family Code as written, particularly Section 153.002's best interest of the child standard, without imposing personal opinions about how families should live, educate, or raise their children.
We're grateful to THSC for their thorough vetting process and their commitment to holding judicial candidates accountable on issues that matter to Texas families.