Protecting Parental Rights

Greetings! My name is Josh Barbosa and I am finishing up my 2L year at Regent University School of Law. I am originally from Connecticut and came to Regent in large part because of the the Center for Global Justice, Human Rights and the Rule of Law. I began with the Center last Fall and my first project was doing research regarding enforced disappearances to aid countries in better protecting against such atrocities.

This semester, I have the privilege of working with a Christian Legal Organization on a research project that focuses on parental rights, particularly in regard to their child’s education. While parental rights are fairly well protected in the United States, it is eye opening to see how they are threatened in other countries. One may not give a second thought to a parent wanting to exempt their child from certain courses based on the conviction and beliefs of that parent. Yet, in some jurisdictions, these freedoms are in such jeopardy that these issues have to be decided by bodies like the European Court of Human Rights.

Seeing the precarious position of what seems like a basic right to control the upbringing of one’s own child causes me to realize two things. First, that we need to be aware of changes in our own country that could threaten parental rights, and be equipped to fight the legal battles that may arise. Second, I am extremely grateful not only to be in a country where the rights of parents are respected but also to be able to work with organizations that seek to protect those rights in other countries.

It has been a terrific experience working to protect the rights of parents and I look forward to continuing this work throughout the rest of semester!

This post was written by a Center for Global Justice student staff member.  The views expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect those of Regent University, Regent Law School, or the Center for Global Justice.