Note: Actual names are not used in order to protect the innocent from further government harassment.

On Wednesday, December 16, 1998, two days before Christmas break, case workers from the Wisconsin Department of Human Services (DHS) arrived unannounced at Rolling Hills Baptist Academy in Wisconsin. They asked the principal for an interview with nine-year-old Thomas Smith, a fourth grade student.

The case workers said DHS had received an "anonymous tip" that Rolling Hills Baptist actually believes in and practices the biblical mandate to administer the "rod of discipline." The principal said he could not allow the workers to interview Thomas without the knowledge and permission of the boy's parents. Rudely, the case workers told the principal he could not call Thomas' parents. But when the principal stood firm, the social workers called in the police. Further, they refused to tell the principal what the investigation was about. They did assure him, however, that Thomas' parents were not the target of the investigation.

The police officers then told the principal that under Wisconsin state law, the DHS workers had the right to interview Thomas WITHOUT parental knowledge or consent!

The policemen then stood guard to make sure the principal did not call the boy's parents as the two case workers took Thomas to a private room for an interview that lasted about 15 minutes.

Despite their assurances that Mr. and Mrs. Smith were not targets, shortly after interviewing Thomas, the case workers told Thomas' mother she must submit to an interview. Mrs. Smith, believing she had no choice in the matter, agreed to come to DHS for an interview the following day.

Fearing that DHS might try to take little Thomas away from her and her husband, Mrs. Smith contacted an attorney and, on her advice, the Smiths called the DHS office to reschedule their appointment. The DHS worker who took Mrs. Smith's call was rude and insulting, and threatened her saying that if the Smiths didn't cooperate, DHS "would take this up a notch" and call the District Attorney in. The case worker also berated Mrs. Smith that she was "hindering the investigation."

The DHS case worker called again over the holidays, on Monday, December 28, and ordered Mr. and Mrs. Smith to come in for an interview. The case worker also instructed the Smiths that unless they gave her the name of the Smiths' attorney within 24 hours, DHS would come and take the children.

These events caused a great deal of stress and anxiety in the Smith home that Christmas. The family lived in constant fear that DHS workers were watching for an opportunity to take Thomas and their other children. The Smiths were so fearful that they covered their windows with blankets so no one from DHS could peer inside their home.

On Monday, January 4, when the students returned to Rolling Hills Academy, so did the two case workers. This time they demanded to interview other children at the school. But the principal refused to allow the interviews. When DHS insisted, the principal called his attorney to come to the school. The DHS workers called the police.

The police threatened to arrest the principal if he didn't cooperate. But the principal stood firm and refused to allow the interviews without first calling the parents to obtain their permission.

The principal and his attorney forthrightly stated that the constitutional lights of parents to raise and oversee the education of their children overrode the state law on which the social workers were relying.

Although the social workers backed down and postponed their interviews, when Mr. and Mrs. Smith heard that the DHS workers had come back to Rolling Hills, they were horrified. They feared that since the DHS workers couldn It get their children at school, they'd come to their house to get them. After all, that's what the social worker told Mrs. Smith when she called and cancelled the appointment. So the Smiths packed some clothes, loaded up their children in the van and went to a friend's house for the night.

They could not believe that here in America they were forced to flee their own home and live like criminals ... even though they had committed no crime and done nothing wrongl

AFA CENTER FOR LILW &- POLICY REPRESENTS PARENTS; I&AWSU3ET FILED As of this moment, the government has taken no further action. However, their investigation is still open. The Smiths have been told that their investigation has been closed, but many other parents of Rolling Hills Academy students have received letters demanding they appear for interviews at DHS. The situation is perilous even today.

The AFA Center for Law & Policy is representing all the parents of Rolling Hills Baptist Academy FREE OF CHA3EtGEI

We have filed a lawsuit in federal court against the Wisconsin Department of Human Services and the social workers involved in the case. We are challenging the constitutionality of the state law which allows social workers to interview children without permission from or the knowledge of the parents. The Rolling Hills Baptist Church, represented by separate counsel, has joined the lawsuit.

Incredibly, not only does the Wisconsin statute give social workers the power to determine when and where to conduct their interviews, it also empowers them to decide what constitutes "abuse" of a child (e.g., simple spanking).

We are seeking a preliminary injunction barring the state from using this statute against Rolling Hills and the parents of Rolling Hills students. We are also seeking damages for past abuses of the law.

Please support the parents of Rolling Hills Baptist Academy in their fight for the rights of all parents to raise their children according to their beliefs andyc values.

PRAY for the parents, the principal of Rolling Hills Baptist Academy and the legal staff of the AFA Center for Law & Policy. In addition, if at all possible, help pay the high legal costs to defend the constitutional rights of all parents in America. Send your CONTRIBUTION to: "A Center for Law 8c Policy, c/o American Family Association, P.O. Drawer 2440, Tupelo, MS 38803.