This week, we talk with Hugh Phillips, a constitutional litigator at Liberty Counsel. Hugh has also served as a judicial law clerk for the Supreme Court of Alabama and he’s the author of a law review article entitled “ Liberating Liberty: How the Glucksberg Test Can Solve the Supreme Court’s Confusing Jurisprudence on Parental Rights ”. Hugh discusses his law review article and explains a path forward to consistently applying the strict scrutiny test to parental rights issues in our nation’s cou...
Apr 12, 2023•42 min•Season 6Ep. 8
This week, we talk with former judge Ernestine Gray, who served for 35 years in the Orleans Parish Juvenile Court in Louisiana. During her tenure, the Orleans Juvenile Court went from what the New York Times described as “the worst juvenile court in the nation” to a model that other juvenile courts looked to for best practices. Ernestine tells us about her many years of striving to improve the child welfare system in her parish, and how she’s worked to improve the lives of the parents and childr...
Apr 04, 2023•44 min•Season 6Ep. 7
This week, we talk with Chelsea Sobolik, the Senior Director of Policy and Advocacy for Lifeline Children’s Services . Lifeline Children’s Services assists families with international adoption in all 50 states, each of the U.S. territories and U.S. citizens living abroad. Lifeline also serves women in unexpected pregnancies and families through domestic adoptions. Chelsea tells us about the mission of Lifeline and how the organization is working to help provide better solutions for adoption and ...
Mar 28, 2023•41 min•Season 6Ep. 6
This week, we talk with Jeremy Tate, founder of the Classic Learning Test . The Classic Learning Test, an alternative to the ACT and the SAT standardized tests, emphasizes classical texts and key threads of Western culture that have been neglected in mainstream American education. Jeremy breaks down the history of public education for us and explains why the CLT is needed. He also gives us his perspective on what’s missing from our public education and how we can improve our schools in the futur...
Mar 21, 2023•31 min•Season 6Ep. 5
This week, we talk with Robert Bortins, the CEO of Classical Conversations since 2012, and a member of the board of directors of Homeschool Now USA. Robert tells us how Classical Conversations went from a single homeschooling classroom in a basement to the world’s largest classical homeschooling organization. Robert explains the process and philosophy of classical education, which aims to prepare students for whatever they may face in life and give them the tools they need to learn anything. Sup...
Mar 14, 2023•36 min•Season 6Ep. 4
This week, we talk with Timothy Sandefur, Vice President of Legal Affairs at the Goldwater Institute . Timothy is representing a mother in Arizona who found herself falsely accused of child neglect and placed on the state’s central child abuse registry in a court case that challenges the constitutionality of Arizona's child abuse registry. Today, Timothy breaks down the details of the case and argues for why exactly child abuse registries are unconstitutional. You can learn more about Timothy an...
Mar 07, 2023•32 min•Season 6Ep. 3
This week, we’re talking with Suzanne Nossel. Suzanne is the CEO of PEN America , a leading human rights and free expression organization, and she is author of Dare to Speak: Defending Free Speech for All . Previously, Suzanne has served as Chief Operating Operator of Human Rights Watch and as Executive Director of Amnesty International USA. How do principles of free speech interact with parental rights, especially in issues of education? Suzanne shares her perspective on book bans in school lib...
Feb 28, 2023•48 min•Season 6Ep. 2
Welcome back to the EPPiC Broadcast, season 6! We’re kicking off our season by talking with Ethan Demme, President and CEO of Demme Learning , and member of the Parental Rights Foundation Board. Ethan is also an elected member of the board of supervisors in East Lampeter Township (Pennsylvania). As a foster and adoptive parent, Ethan explains how children are often brought into the foster care system and how we can better care for children in the system. Even though some children need to be remo...
Feb 21, 2023•49 min•Season 6Ep. 1
This week, Parental Rights Foundation president Will Estrada and executive director Michael Ramey host a special discussion about Giving Tuesday. Giving Tuesday is a day to give back to nonprofits and charitable organizations, and it’s today, November 29th! Michael and Will discuss the mission of the Parental Rights Foundation and give us a snapshot into how the organization runs on a day-to-day basis. Plus, hear about our victories this year so far and the upcoming projects we’re working on. Yo...
Nov 29, 2022•28 min•Season 5Ep. 16
This week, we talk with Rolf Hazlehurst, Rolf is a senior attorney with Children's Health Defense and has been actively engaged in the practice of law since 1995. Rolf breaks down the history of the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986, which should help families of children with vaccine-related medical injuries receive justice, but often just causes more problems for them instead. Plus, Rolf tells us what parents can do to help secure their parental rights in issues surrounding vaccine...
Nov 22, 2022•48 min•Season 5Ep. 15
This week, we talk with Joanna Woolman, associate professor of law at the Mitchell Hamline School of Law and the executive director of the Institute to Transform Child Protection . Joanna tells us about the Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA), a key piece of legislation in America’s child welfare system. ASFA creates arbitrary deadlines and financial incentives for states to separate parents and children, and even terminate parental rights. Joanna explains why the law operates this way and how...
Nov 15, 2022•36 min•Season 5Ep. 14
This week, we feature a special discussion between Parental Rights Foundation president Will Estrada and executive director Michael Ramey about how important it is to go out and vote today for candidates that support parental rights. Support the show
Nov 08, 2022•11 min•Season 5Ep. 13
This week, we talk with Quisha King. Quisha is the host of the Quisha King Show podcast and the founder of the Mass Exodus movement, which aims to get children into better learning environments. She’s a national speaker on education issues and parental rights and she’s the mother of two daughters. Today, Quisha tells us about her journey to embracing parental rights issues and how she’s working to draw awareness to the importance of school choice and improving education for children. Support the...
Nov 01, 2022•40 min•Season 5Ep. 12
This week, we talk with Dr. Rodger Sayre. Rodger is a pediatrician and family doctor with over forty years of experience in the medical field, and he’s also a Parental Rights Foundation board member. He gives us expert advice on raising healthy children and explains how to interact with the medical community as a parent while ensuring that your parental rights are respected. He also explains how to respond to false claims of medical abuse or neglect. Support the show...
Oct 25, 2022•45 min•Season 5Ep. 12
This week, we talk with Stephen Krason, Professor of Political Science and Legal Studies at the Franciscan University of Steubenville , and Parental Rights Foundation board member. Stephen tells us about the historical background of parental rights, and why we have the parental rights laws that we have today. He also explains the legal underpinnings of our federal parental rights law, including key Supreme Court decisions. Support the show...
Oct 18, 2022•57 min•Season 5Ep. 11
This week, we talk with Melissa Moschella, Assistant Professor of Philosophy at the Catholic University of America, where her teaching focuses on bioethics and the moral and political status of the family. Melissa is also the author of To Whom Do Children Belong? Parental Rights, Civic Education, and Children's Autonomy . Melissa discusses why parental rights are critical to society as a whole, and why the family is the most important, basic building block of society. She also tells us about why...
Oct 11, 2022•56 min•Season 5Ep. 10
This week, we talk with Rabbi Yaakov Menken, the founding Managing Director of Coalition for Jewish Values , the largest Rabbinic public policy coalition in the world. Rabbi Menken tells us the Orthodox Jewish perspective on parental rights and why it is so important to pass our culture and traditions on to our children. Plus, Rabbi Menken tells us about the history of Jewish education and shares his perspective on some current events. Support the show...
Oct 04, 2022•53 min•Season 5Ep. 8
In 2011, Detroit-area parent Maryanne Godboldo found herself in a standoff with social workers, police, and even a SWAT team threatening the removal of her daughter - all because Maryanne refused to give her daughter a dangerous, mind-altering psychiatric drug. This week, we talk with civil attorney Allison Folmar, who represented Maryanne in this nationally-publicized case. Allison has represented many parents caught up in the child welfare system, and she’s a member of the Parental Rights Foun...
Sep 27, 2022•52 min•Season 5Ep. 7
Recently, the New York Times ran an article entitled “ In Hasidic Enclaves, Failing Private Schools Flush With Public Money ”, attacking the Yeshivas (religious schools) of New York’s Hasidic Jews. But what’s the real story? This week, we talk with Jason Bedrick, a former member of the New Hampshire state legislature, and now a Research Fellow at the Heritage Foundation . Jason explains the tradition of Yeshivas; some teach secular subjects in addition to religious texts, while some schools focu...
Sep 20, 2022•40 min•Season 5Ep. 6
This week, we talk with Frank Garrison, an attorney at the Pacific Legal Foundation , which fights to protect civil rights, private property rights, and to uphold the constitutional separation of powers. Frank is representing a mother in Arizona who has been falsely accused of child neglect and has found her name on the state child abuse registry without due process. In this episode, Frank tells how his case is challenging the constitutionality of putting parents on a state child abuse registry ...
Sep 13, 2022•25 min•Season 5Ep. 5
In Arizona, one mom found her name on the state registry of child abusers, with many job and volunteer opportunities closed to her for the next 25 years, all because she let her child play in a safe neighborhood park with friends while she shopped for groceries. How does this happen to an innocent, loving parent? This week, we talk with Timothy Sandefur, Vice President of Legal Affairs at the Goldwater Institute . Timothy is representing this mom in a court case that challenges the constitutiona...
Sep 07, 2022•15 min•Season 5Ep. 4
This week, we talk with Jamie Gullen. Jamie is the Managing Attorney of the Employment Unit and Youth Justice Project at Community Legal Services in Philadelphia. On August 10th, Community Legal Services filed a lawsuit against the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania over Pennsylvania’s state child abuse registry. When child abuse investigations are opened, parents are automatically placed on the registry, regardless of whether they have actually been convicted of child abuse. Jamie is the lead attorne...
Aug 30, 2022•23 min•Season 5Ep. 3
This week’s episode features an interview with Jim Mason, president of the Home School Legal Defense Association . Jim has represented homeschooling families in a wide range of challenging situations and has set precedents that have expanded freedom for the homeschool community. Today, he tells us about HSLDA’s work in protecting the right of parents to teach their children at home. Plus, learn about the future of the parental rights movement and why families choose to school their children at h...
Aug 23, 2022•55 min•Season 5Ep. 2
Welcome back to the EPPiC Broadcast! We’re kicking off our fifth season by talking with Kathleen Creamer, managing attorney of the Family Advocacy Unit at Community Legal Services in Philadelphia. Despite the life-altering consequences of CPS investigations, up to losing their children forever, many parents go to court completely unrepresented by any legal counsel. The system is particularly harsh on low-income families and families of color. Kathleen works to give high-quality legal aid to fami...
Aug 16, 2022•47 min•Season 5Ep. 1
This week, Will talks with Julie Gunlock, director of the Independent Women’s Network and IWF’s Center for Progress and Innovation. Before joining IWF, Julie served as a Professional Staff Member on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and on the House Homeland Security Committee. Julie tells us about the importance of school choice, how parents can advocate for their rights with local school boards, and how to get organized with like-minded parents to affect change. J...
May 24, 2022•48 min•Season 4Ep. 13
This week, we talk with John Rosemond, a parenting expert who has worked with families, children, and parents since 1971. His parenting advice column is published in over 225 newspapers across the country, and he’s the author of over 15 books on parenting. John is also a Parental Rights Foundation board member. In this episode, John sits down with Will Estrada to discuss good parenting techniques, current parental rights issues, and what parents can do to help their children grow into strong, in...
May 17, 2022•48 min•Season 4Ep. 12
This week, we talk with Tony Kinnet, who made headlines for posting a video about the school he worked at teaching Critical Race Theory. Now, Tony is the Executive Director of the Chalkboard Review , an education commentary website that promotes diverse views in education. Tony tells us about what prompted him to post the now-viral video, what the reaction to it was, and why he believes so strongly that transparency and parental choice matters in education. Support the show...
May 03, 2022•51 min•Season 4Ep. 11
This week, we talk with Brad Dacus, founding president of the Pacific Justice Institute , a non-profit legal defense organization specializing in the defense of religious liberties, parental rights, and other civil liberties. Brad served as Legislative Assistant to U.S. Senator Phil Gramm and then received his juris doctorate from the University of Texas School of Law. He went on to found the Pacific Justice Institute in 1997. Brad tells us about the work of the Pacific Justice Institute, and so...
Apr 26, 2022•50 min•Season 4Ep. 10
This week, we talk with Lenore Skenazy, author of Free-Range Kids , and founder of Let Grow . Lenore tells us about the reasonable childhood independence movement and her organization, which aims to “make it easy, normal and legal to give kids the independence they need to grow into capable, confident, and happy adults.” Plus, hear about recent childhood independence legislation that Let Grow has introduced, and how it can help protect families from poorly-worded neglect laws and unnecessary CPS...
Apr 12, 2022•52 min•Season 4Ep. 9
This week, we talk with Frank Edelblut, New Hampshire’s Education Commissioner since 2017. An accountant and entrepreneur and a former member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives, Edelblut now administers the state's Department of Education. Frank tells us about his work representing the interests of New Hampshire’s parents and taxpayers in the public school system and how he has helped make education more accessible to low income families. Support the show...
Apr 05, 2022•41 min•Season 4Ep. 9
