Longtime homeschool attorney and advocate Michael P. Farris, who founded the Home School Legal Defense Association in 1983 and founded Patrick Henry College in 2000, issued a public statement Wednesday distancing himself from “patriarchy.” Specifically, he criticized the teachings of two leaders formerly popular among homeschoolers, Doug Phillips and Bill Gothard, who both recently stepped down from ministries amid allegations of sexual misconduct.
“[W]ith these recent scandals in view, we think it is now time to speak out,” wrote Farris, currently chairman of HSLDA, on the organization’s website. “[T]heir teachings continue to threaten the freedom and integrity of the homeschooling movement. … Frankly, we should have spoken up sooner.”
Citing articles from the now-defunct website of Vision Forum Ministries, Farris said Phillips’ brand of patriarchy “offers an imbalanced and (in my personal...
Dr. Alan Cairns | 2/8/2009
