LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa., Sept. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Two homeschool families have filed suit against the Eastern Lancaster County (ELANCO) School District after officials allegedly threatened them with criminal prosecution unless they produced copies of their high school diplomas—something Pennsylvania law does not require.

The General Assembly's homeschool statute requires parents to submit an affidavit or declaration attesting that the supervisor holds a high school diploma. It does not require families to provide the diploma itself. The law also sets forth a clear process for resolving disputes over paperwork through certified letters and, if necessary, a neutral hearing—not through intimidation at families' homes or threats of truancy charges. Nevertheless, ELANCO officials allegedly showed up at the families' homes in an effort to obtain these documents.

"These families followed the statute exactly as written. The school district must do the same," said Jim Mason, President of HSLDA. "Pennsylvania's homeschool law is clear and has not changed. But instead of following the law, ELANCO officials invented their own process and threatened them with prosecution. That is unlawful and must be stopped."

The lawsuit is seeking a court declaration that ELANCO's alleged diploma demands, intimidation at families' homes, and threats of prosecution exceed its authority under Pennsylvania law, and an injunction to stop these practices immediately. 

About HSLDA
Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) is the nation's largest and oldest advocacy organization for homeschooling families, founded in 1983 to protect and advance the constitutional right of parents to direct the education of their children. With over 90,000 member families, HSLDA defends homeschool freedom in courts, legislatures, and communities nationwide. 

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SOURCE HSLDA