A couple in Brazil has been sentenced to 50 days in prison for "intellectual neglect" after homeschooling their two daughters without a state-approved curriculum. The São Paulo criminal court ruled against Audato and Ieda Denardi, alleging they failed to incorporate topics such as "gender and sex education" and "tolerance and diversity" into their daughters' education, according to Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) International.
The court also cited the girls' preference for religious and classical music over popular genres as evidence of failing to integrate them into Brazilian culture. The parents' attorney, Isabel Monteiro, stated that the judge's decision was ideological, based in part on the older daughter's musical tastes. The couple began homeschooling their daughters in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, initially due to dissatisfaction with their daughters' schooling. They officially withdrew the girls from the state system in 2022.
Despite the ruling, the Denardis remain free as they appeal the decision, which is believed to be the first criminal prosecution of its kind in Brazil. The family expressed surprise at the sentence, emphasizing their daughters' academic and linguistic achievements. Even state prosecutors had recommended acquittal, with an independent educational psychologist finding no signs of neglect and deeming the girls to be thriving socially and academically. However, the judge rejected this recommendation, accusing the parents of using their daughters in an "ideological struggle" and providing an "unregulated education."
The Denardis have expressed concern about what will happen to their children if they are imprisoned. The case highlights the ongoing legal ambiguity surrounding homeschooling in Brazil. While the Supreme Court ruled homeschooling constitutional in 2019, it stipulated the need for legislative regulation. A bill passed the House of Representatives in 2022 but has since stalled in the Senate, leaving homeschooling families in a precarious legal position. The family's appeal is scheduled to be heard by the 7th Criminal Chamber of the Court of Justice of the State of São Paulo, with the parents hoping for an acquittal based on their belief that the law should not be applied based on ideology.