Army Recruiter’s Confusion over Homeschool Law Blocks Grad’s Plans

A Virginia graduate’s dream of serving in the US Army was nearly derailed when a recruiter questioned the validity of his homeschool diploma. HSLDA’s quick action ensured he could continue pursuing his goal of military service.

This is a prime example of HSLDA’s role in protecting freedom and empowering homeschool graduates to find their role in the community.

HSLDA Legal Director Scott Woodruff demonstrated that the graduate’s diploma fulfilled the Army’s education requirements by explaining to the recruiter—who is currently assigned to an office in Georgia—the intricacies of Virginia homeschool law.

Meeting the challenge

The recruiter’s mistaken objections represented a rare instance where Anthony Suess and his mother, Sheri, were unable to overcome an obstacle through their own fortitude and ingenuity.

Adaptation has always been a hallmark of Sheri’s approach to homeschooling her three younger children. (Her oldest graduated from public school.) She switched to homeschooling when the staff at the public school her children attended refused to make changes to accommodate their unique needs and interests.

“I wanted my kids to have an individualized education,” Sheri said. She recalled thinking at the time: “If I homeschooled them, I could give them exactly what they need to address where they are at any moment.”

Anthony attested that his mother’s patience and flexibility helped him progress academically. By the time he started home-educating in the mid-elementary grades, it had become clear that conventional schooling was not the best fit for him.

But at home, if Anthony struggled with a particular subject, Sheri had the leeway to pause and research a different method for presenting the material.

“Sometimes mom had to use songs, rhymes, or other mnemonic devices,” Anthony recalled. “But once I got it, I got it. I think it really set me up for success.”

Sheri’s willingness to examine alternatives led her to modify her plans for high school. She originally intended to re-enroll each of her younger three children in public school for high school. But at a homeschool conference, Sheri accidentally wandered into a workshop on homeschooling through high school.

“I didn’t want to be rude, so I stayed,” Sheri recalled.

What she heard at the conference, combined with her own mother’s encouragement, persuaded Sheri to ask her children what they wanted to do for high school. They chose homeschooling.

Homeschooling produced such profound results in her teens that Sheri eventually signed them up for dual enrollment courses at the local community college.

College and beyond

Anthony went on to attend Christendom College, where he earned a degree in English in 2021. He also met the woman who became his wife in 2023. They now have a daughter.

After college, Anthony sampled several careers. He taught inner-city students in the Bronx, New York, and worked at a bank in Virginia. Recently, he and his wife moved to Georgia to be closer to her family.

Inspired by heroes from film and literature, as well as the example of his grandfather who served for 26 years as an Army officer, Anthony decided to look into enlisting. But he was perplexed when the Army recruiter seemed to overlook his bachelor’s degree and instead demanded proof that his homeschool diploma conformed with state law.

Closer look at the law

The recruiter appeared to be trying to follow regulations HSLDA helped shepherd through Congress in 2011 and 2012.

“Before then, homeschool graduates who wished to enlist in the military were routinely discriminated against,” explained HSLDA Senior Counsel Will Estrada, who spearheaded the effort to reform federal policy a dozen years ago. “Now, thanks to legislation signed by President Obama, the Department of Defense has made it clear that a homeschool graduate’s high school diploma, issued by a parent who is in compliance with their state’s homeschool law, is valid for enlistment into the US Armed Forces.”

The problem for Anthony was that the recruiter didn’t appear to understand Virginia law. At her son’s request, to confirm the validity of her homeschool program, Sheri sent the recruiter copies of annual notices of intent and year-end student evaluations she’d submitted regularly to public school officials.

“But for every piece of documentation I would send,” Sheri said, “they would say they needed something else. I was just shocked.”

The situation reached an impasse, and then Sheri recalled what she’d learned in her many years as an HSLDA member.

“This is why HSLDA exists!” she said. “So I knew who to call.”

Woodruff reached out to the recruiter on Anthony’s behalf, addressing three points of confusion. Woodruff affirmed in a letter that Anthony’s diploma and course of study were bona fide, because under Virginia law:

• Parents have the inherent power to issue a high school diploma.
• Neither the homeschool program itself, nor the classes taught to the student, nor the curriculum used, need to be accredited.
• Parents are not required to comply with the standards that apply to public schools.

“After I sent the letter,” Woodruff said, “the recruiter accepted my explanation and completely revised his approach.”

Anthony was cleared to proceed further into the induction process. However, recruiters subsequently learned of a medical issue that Anthony will have to address before he can qualify for Army training.

For now, Anthony is reviewing his options. Possibilities include enlisting into a different branch of the military or pursuing a position as a civilian security officer. Meanwhile, he continues to follow his passion for film, working on screenplays and seeking out other opportunities to be involved in cinematic productions.

“God always has a plan,” he said.

Woodruff said he is pleased to have been able to assist Anthony as he explores career opportunities.