“They were condemning us,” said homeschooling mom Kelli Barsony. “Telling us that our daughters were a safety hazard to the salon. Every time we turned, it was like a slap in the face that what you did [as a homeschooling family] didn’t matter.”
Kelli’s daughter Morgan fulfilled every requirement for a cosmetology license, yet she was barred from her chosen field. Homeschool graduate Leah Mumau faced the same discrimination.
It’s a sobering reminder that despite decades of victories for graduates across the country, some officials still do not view homeschooling as a valid education method. Left unchecked, they will continue to discriminate against homeschool students and graduates. That’s where Home School Legal Defense Association comes in.
In the case of these two women, HSLDA was able to successfully intervene on their behalf and perhaps shift the tide of policy in New Jersey away from the discriminatory practices that have marked this career field.
Elsewhere, in Louisiana, homeschool graduate Maia Edmonds was repeatedly refused entry to cosmetology school because of her diploma. After a yearslong effort and numerous meetings with the cosmetology board, legislative action has finally resolved the issue plaguing homeschool graduates in the state.
As a result, homeschool graduates in New Jersey and Louisiana should not face the same hassles and challenges going forward. “It’s a victory for homeschooling, even if it only changes the trajectory for one other person,” said Leah’s mom, Elaine Mumau.
We should note that victory came at a high cost for each of these families. Our interventions were only possible because of the courage of these three women and their families to stand and push back against discrimination in their state. These are their stories.