WPC P9ඵh1 @H,J$R[! 4 H ?в_y Y@ Qws"o&O)F%RϏE<`GwĘ|O߲r#>1ey8?oc,?{U)^yykC;|߇j k]|g_.k1yvz42ifdt` n.'^=2%%# F UNQ % 0 UN w 4   B 0? 0DDU:b D3 0D AOjj 0D0 D/t BHP LaserJet 4SiHPPCL5MS,,,,,,0nLh(hH  Z 6Times New Roman RegularX($71dXdXd7  HgITR[A' Legal[A' LegalA' LegalA' LegalT(Y Z 6Times New Roman RegulareDDDD     DDDӀh&  3|x$   z$H$XX `   1    XX$HomeschoolingisapermissibleeducationalalternativeinTennessee.T.C.A.496  3050(a)(1)(1990)permitsparentstoeducatetheirchildrenathomeandprovidesthathomeschoolingisanexceptiontothemandatoryschoolattendancelawsaslongastheeducationalprogrammeetstherequirementsofstatelaw. d((3z$ !7XXdXXd7  H$XXTR[A' Legal3'A' Legal3'T   `   0  (#$  0   X)= XXX  XX)=   Ad FILED    June29,1999  CecilCrowson,Jr.9AppellateCourt  Clerk ,cAZ"Arial Regular 'dxd(3$ !  -C<< CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5($$   1  ' dxdP Pd !7XXdXXd7  H$XXTR[A' Legal3'A' Legal3'T    l$7XdXXd7r *<,(j 8 `@Ex tt0"rߛ@   INTHECOURTOFAPPEALSOFTENNESSEE  @LL(ATKNOXVILLE VICKIESUEANDERSON,    ) p McMINNCIRCUIT  F  `     h     ) p (No.19,687)  V  ` Plaintiff/Appellant h     ) p   f  `     h     ) p NO.03A019810CV00366 & v v. `     h     ) 6   `     h     ) p HON.JOHNB.HAGLER F  RONNYLEEANDERSON,    ) p JUDGE V   `     h     ) ` Defendant/Appellee    ) p AFFIRMED v  JohnW.Cleveland,Sweetwater,forAppellant.H.ChrisTrew,Athens,forAppellee. @( e lOPINION 6 #l  eP# `     h      p INMAN,SeniorJudge  .~    ` Thesepartiesweredivorcedin1995.Theywereawardedjointcustodyoftwochildren,withprimaryphysicalcustodyawardedtoMother,who,in1998,advisedFatherofherintenttohomeschooltheiryoungestdaughter,Delilah.FatherthereuponpetitionedtheCourtforanorderrequiringMothertocontinueDelilahspublicschooling.Thetrialjudgefound(1)thatMotherhadnotproperlysupervisedtheeducationalneedsofDelilah,(2) thatshehastoomanyironsinthefire,(3)thatshehasneitherthetimenorthedetachmentnortheabilitytobyherselfmanagetheeducationalneedsofthischild. ` Motherappeals,insistingthatastheprimaryresidentialcustodialparentitisherprerogativetohomeschoolherchild,   #  1      ׀andthatnoevidencewaspresentedthat n1,* homeschoolingposedathreatofharmtothechildoranincreasedburdenontheFather. 50.S  ` $lOurreviewofthefindingsoffactmadebythetrialCourtisdenovoupon  therecordofthetrialCourt,accompaniedbyapresumptionofthecorrectnessofthefinding,unlessthepreponderanceoftheevidenceisotherwise.Tenn.R.App.  X P.,Rule13(d)#l$z #$l;Campbellv.FloridaSteelCorp.,919S.W.2d26(Tenn.1996).#l$ # 4   ` Attheoutset,weareconstrainedtocommentontheliterarynatureofthebriefsandtheprofessionalismeachrepresents.Eachpartyrecognizestheobstacleposedbytheoriginalawardofjointcustody,adoctrineplacativeinitspronouncementbutoftenproductiveofacceleratedfamilialdiscordandlitigationwhichfrequentlyresultsinlastingharmtothechildrenwhosebestinterestsaretherebyrelegatedtoparentalwhim. ` TheappellantMotherarguesthattheConstitutionofTennesseeprotectshersoleprerogativetomakesignificantdecisionsaboutDelilahseducationaslongassheremainsfittohavecustody,citingRustv.Rust,864S.W.2d52(Tenn.App. ` 1993),becauseoursocietyhaslongrecognizedasoneofitsmostbasictenetsthattheresponsibilityforraisingchildrenrestsfirstwiththeirparents.Hawkv.Hawk, " 855S.W.2d573,57778(Tenn.1993).Theconceptofcustodyisinextricably $  linkedwithparentsrighttobefreefromunwarrantedoutsideinterferencewiththeirchildrearingdecisions.Raisingchildrenisbeyondthecompetenceofimpersonalpoliticalinstitutions.Bellottiv.Baird,443U.S.622,638,99S.Ct.3035,61L.Ed.d.  +p&$ 797(1979).AsheldinRust,supra,theconceptof custodyconnotesacomplex @-(& bundleofrightsandobligationsarisingfromtheparentchildrelationship.Parentssharethesecustodialrightsandobligationsinthecontextofanongoingmarriage.Theserightsandobligationsareextensiveandoperateagainstthestateandthirdpersons.Theyincludetheobligationtoraiseandsupportthechildandtherightto makefundamentaldecisionsaboutthechildseducation. 7030  ` Adivorcecausesabreachinthetraditionallyprivaterealmoffamilylife.It requiresthecourtstointerveneintothefamilyrelationshipbecauseonlythecourtsmaydissolvethelegalbondsofmarriageandsortoutandrecorderthepartiesrightsandobligations. ` Parentswhohavebeenawardedsolelegalcustodyhavetherighttomakethedecisionsconcerningtheirchildseducation,includingthechoiceofschools,unlessthecustodyordercontainsacontraryprovision.Appellantarguesthatthecourtsshouldnotsecondguessthesedecisionswhentheyareconsistentwithstatelaw,andanoncustodialparentshouldonlyhavbehaveavoiceinthesedecisionswhentheyimposeanincreasedornewburdenonthenoncustodialparent,citingLewisv.Lewis,741   S.W.2d900,902(Tenn.App.1987).  Aninitialcustodydecision,oncefinal, @ createsnewlegalrelationshipsbetweentheparentsthemselvesandbetweeneachparentandthechild.Italsocreatesanewfamilyunitnowcommonlyreferredtoasa singleparentfamily.Thisnewfamilyunitisentitledtoasimilarmeasureofconstitutionalprotectionagainstunwarrantedgovernmentalintrusionasisaccordedtoanintact,twoparentfamily.Adivorcedoesnotsignificantlylessenacustodialparentschildrearingchildrearingautonomy,andthecourtscannotintrudeintotheeducationaldecisionsmadebycustodialparentunlesstheseprivatedecisionswereillegalorwereaffirmativelyharmingthechild.Rustat56.Intermsoftheparents *@&$ relationshipswithDelilah,theallocationofrightsandobligationsofMr.andMrs.AndersonandMrs.Andersonschildrearingautonomy,thesubstanceofthenew singleparentfamilyunitcreatedinthiscasebytheAndersonsdivorceisnodifferentfromthe singleparentfamilyinRust. p3.,  ` InRust,supra,thetrialcourt determinedthatacustodialparentcouldnot 50. homeschoolachildovertheobjectionofthenoncustodialparentandthatthecourtsshoulddecidewhicheducationalopportunitywasinthechildsbestinterestswhen 9 52 anoncustodialparentobjectstohomeschooling.Becausethetrialcourtbelievedthathomeschooling deviatessubstantiallyfromthenorm,thetrialcourtdecidedthatenrollingtheRustssoninpublicschoolwasinhisbestinterestanddirectedMrs.Rusttoenrollhersoninpublicswchool.Wereversedthetrialcourtsdecisionthatitcouldcountermandthedecisionofacustodialparent,whoisotherwiseafitcustodialparent,concerningherchildseductioneducationifthenoncustodialparentobjectedandifthecourtdeterminedthatthedecisionwasnotinthechildsbestinterest. ` ButthecaseatBarmustbedistinguishedfromRust,becauseoftheawardof  jointcustody.Appellant,ineffect,arguesthatthisisofnoconsequencebecausesheistheprimaryresidentialparentandisthusentitledtomakethedecisiontohomeschoollschooltheirchildwithoutgovernmentalinterference.Theappelleerejoinsthatjointcustodyaffordstobothpartiesthescharedparentalresponsibilityforandrighttomakedecisionsregardingachildseducation,religion,residences,disciplineandmedicalcare,citingShepherdv.Metcalf,794S.W.2d348(Tenn.1990).Heargues p" thatsincethepartieshavejointlegalcustody,Motherdidnothavetheunilateralrighttoremovetheminorchildfromthepublicschoolsystem,becausehehasaconcomitantrighttoparticipateindecisionsreegardingregardinghischildseducation,anditisappropriatetoaskthedivorcecourttointercedeinsituationssuchaspresentinthiscasewheretheparentsinajointcustodyarrangementcannotagreeuponadecisionconcerningeducation. ` Weagreethatgiventhejointcustodyposture,itwasappropriatetoaskthedivorcecourttointercedeand,ineffect,to breakthetie.IfMotherhastheunilateralright,assheclaims,tomakethedecisionofhomeschoolingvisavispublicschooling,Fatheristherebyrelegatedtoapowerlesspositionandjointcustodyisrenderedmeaningless. 9 52  ` Againstthebackgroundofthesecomments,weturnnowtotheevidencepresentedwhichimpelledtheexperiencedtrualtrialjudgetointercede. ` TheevidencerevealedthatMothercompletedtwoyearsofhighschoolonly,butdidreceiveherG . E . D . in1978.Inadditiontoanactivescheduleawayfromwork,shehasfulltimeemployment.SheisthegeneralagentofrecordforMcMinnCountyFMarmersMutualFireInsuranceCompany,Inc.,andservesastheManagingGeneralAgent,Office M  m anagerandBookkeeper. ` Inchoosingccurriculaacurriculumaforthehomeschooling,shedidnotconsultwithanexpertinschoolcurriculaum.Shelocateda usedbookvendorinCrossville,Tennesseeand handpickedthecirriculumcurriculumherselftakingsuggestionsfromthebookvendor. ` BarbaraWoody,ateacheratNiotaElementarySchool,wasDelilahssecondgradeteacher.Shehas26yearsteachingexperienceandaMastersDegree,plus30hoursinelementaryedeucationeducation.ShetaughtDelilahduringtheschoolyear19971998.ShetestifiedthatDelilahwasbelowaberageaveragewhenshebeganthesecondgrade,wasimmaturteimmatureandhadashortattentionspan.Schoolworkwasdifficultforherbecauseshewaseasilydistractedandingeneralwasunabletocompleteassignments.SheexhibitedmanytraitscommontochildrenwithAttentionDeficitDisorder. ` Delilahsgradesinthesecondgradewere:ReadingC;SpellingB;EnglishC;andMathD. ` ATeacherRatingScalecompletedbyMs.Woodyindicatedanumberofcommonproblemsthatchildrenhaveinschool.Delilahwasfoundtohavethecommonproblemsofrestlesnessrestlessness,difficultiesengagingintasksthatrequiresustainedmentaleffort,failuretofinishwork,inattentiveness,easilydistracted,difficultyinorganizingtasksforactivities,fidgetingandshortattentionspan. 9 52  ` Ms.WoodytestifiedthatDelilahwouldonlycompleteaboutonehalfofherhomeworkassignments,eventhoughshediscussedthisproblemwithherMother.Significantly,Ms.WoodytestifiedthattheFathrFatherhadDelilahafewdayseachmonthduringtheschoolweekand,ontheseoccasions,shehadnoproblemswithDelilahcompletingherhomework. ` TheattendancerecordsrevealedthatDelilahwaslateforschoolon17occasionswhileinthesecondgrade.Ms.WoodytestifiedthatshediscussedwithMothertheproblemsoftardiness,oneofwhichwasthedifficultytopersuadeDelilahtoattendtohertaskswhenshecameinlate.AsexpressedbyMs.Woody:8 ` ItreallyupsetDelilahinthemorningswhenshecamein,becauseshewasrealslowaboutgettingstarted,andthatwhenshecameintheotherchildrenwereworking,itkindofupsetheranditreallykindofjustblewhermorningforher.Itwasreallyhardformetogetherontaskonceshecameinlate. ` 8"` 8"  ` Ms.WoodytestifiedthatDelilahmadeagreatdealofprogressduringtheschoolyear,attheendofwhichshewasreadingonasecondgradelevel.ShefollowedthecurriculumashehadobtainedforDelilah,whoisnowmakingAsandA+s,ratherthantheCsandaDtheprioryear. ` Thefindingofthetrialjudge thatMotherhasneitherthetime,northedetachment,northeabilityto,byherself,managetheeducationalneedsofthischildisaheadyone,sinceitfocusetsonthebestinterestsofDelilah.Inlightofourconclusionthatthecourthadtheright,andtheduty,tointercedeintheissue,wecannotfindthattheevidencepreponderatesagainstthejudgment,whichisaffirmedatthecostsoftheappellant. `  `     h     _______________________________ `     h     WilliamH.Inman,SeniorJudge 9 52 ЇCONCUR:_______________________________HerschelP.Franks,Judge_______________________________CharlesD.Susano,Jr.,Judge