Looking back, it’s not surprising the State of Connecticut would seek to regulate homeschooled children they suspect are suffering from mental illness. The last two violent acts in the state that captured the attention of the nation were perpetuated by homeschoolers – the shooter at Sandy Hook Elementary School and Joshua Komisarjevsky of the Cheshire home invasion, who is slated to become one of the last men executed in Connecticut. But like the state’s knee-jerk gun laws, this policy recommendation from The Sandy Hook Advisory Commission is misguided. Staff Attorney for Statewide Legal Services in the Nutmeg State Kathleen Flaherty said, “The purpose of this recommendation is to make sure that kids get what kids need. If they have needs that aren’t being addressed, just because the parent has chosen to remove them from the school setting … their needs are still going to be met.” In other words, the state assumes the responsibility for caring for the kids, which runs contrary to the state’s general statues that say the responsibility for a child’s education rests with their parents. More…