When Kristin Barclay uploaded a bona fide copy of her college diploma as part of the process for establishing her family’s homeschool in North Carolina, she didn’t expect to be blocked by a language barrier.

State officials objected to Kristin’s diploma on the grounds that it was written in a foreign script. This turned what should have been a routine procedure into a bureaucratic tug-of-war.

Kristin asked HSLDA to intervene, and our legal team eventually determined that the state’s protests could be characterized by the words of the Roman educator Quintilian: damnant quod non intellegunt. Or, in English, “They condemn what they do not understand.” This is ironic, since Kristin’s diploma was written in the traditional language of western scholarship, Latin.

Following the law

The Barclays had recently moved across the state line from South Carolina to be closer to friends and homeschool activities they participate in. As mandated by state law, Kristin created an account on the Division of Non-Public Education’s (DNPE) website in order to submit a notice of intent to homeschool.

North Carolina requires parents to hold at least a high school diploma or its equivalent to teach their children. As proof she exceeded this minimum standard, Kristin uploaded a copy of her undergraduate diploma from Sweet Briar College, a historic women’s school in Virginia.

For weeks after completing the online documentation, Kristin noticed that the DNPE website displayed the status of her family’s homeschool as “pending.”

Then she received an email from DNPE containing a concerning message: “One or more problems exist in your notice of intent.” Specifically, “The diploma evidence was not written in English.” The email added that until this problem was corrected, “your homeschool is not legally registered with the state of North Carolina.”

In response, Kristin emailed an English translation of her diploma that had been provided by Sweet Briar. It was printed on college letterhead.

A short time later, Kristin received another email from DNPE complaining that the translation was inexact because it did not include her name. It urged Kristin to also provide a copy of her college transcripts or a letter from her alma mater confirming she was indeed a graduate.

At that point, Kristin’s husband, Matt, urged her to call HSLDA.

Cutting the red tape

HSLDA Senior Counsel Darren Jones wrote to the DNPE on Kristin’s behalf, pointing out that their request for additional documentation went beyond what state law requires.

What he didn’t add, but could have, is that the DNPE was wrong to consider the Latin diploma sui generis—an outlier posing a unique problem. In fact, as its campus journal points out, until 1961 Harvard issued all undergraduate diplomas in Latin. And in 2024 Columbia University announced it would begin printing its general studies diplomas in Latin to align the school with “most of the other Ivy League colleges.”

Shortly after sending his letter, Jones received a telephone call from the DNPE director. The official said that the status of the Barclays’ homeschool had been changed to “open,” and that if Kristin uploaded the diploma translation to the DNPE web portal, it would resolve any question as to her qualifications.

Kristin complied, but not without some misgivings.

“Thankfully, it wasn’t a scary legal issue, but it was unnecessarily difficult,” she said. “The most frustrating part was that I did what they asked, but they said, ‘No, no, you need to do more.’ My feeling was that I have my diploma, and that should be enough.”

With this bureaucratic hurdle behind them, the Barclays can focus on summer activities with their son and daughter. Kristin directs a homeschool choir for 6- to 7-year-olds, and her kids sing in a choir for the next-oldest age group. The siblings also train with Matt on obstacle courses inspired by the athletic competition and television show American Ninja Warrior.

Jones said he is gratified to have helped the Barclays, especially because their case stemmed from the tendency of state officials to raise unjustified hurdles for homeschooling families.

“Ever since I came to HSLDA as a legal assistant in 1996, we have been fighting the DNPE’s constant attempts to push the boundaries of what they’re entitled to under the law,” he said. “That’s why it’s good that in this situation we were able to resolve the conflict without the family having to provide additional documentation such as a college transcript.”

In other words: Fiat justitia ruat caelum!*

*Let justice be done, though the heavens fall.