Mike Farris leads charge

HSLDA destroys homeschool leader and homeschool movement in Germany

Many are probably wondering whatever happened to the Germany homeschool leaders, the Smiths. We owe an explanation to all of you who donated your precious money to support our work. It is also important that I clear our name after having been accused of swindling money donated by you good people.

HSLDA has sinned grievously against my family and me. I therefore am hereby doing my Christian duty to rebuke them before all: “Those who sin are to be rebuked publicly, so that the others may take warning.” (1 Ti. 5:20)

HSLDA’s Mike Farris, Chris Klicka and the entire Board of HSLDA Trustees have sinned grievously against my family. I have given these men all the time and opportunity to make things right with me, doing all the Biblical steps according to Matthew 18 and 1 Corinthians 6. HSLDA continues to refuse to do their Biblical duty to enter into a mediation/binding arbitration agreement with me through the Christian Peacemaker Ministries.

I do not know why HSLDA has acted so hostile toward us. I can only suspect that they have somehow broken the law and have acted to cover up their mistakes. My wife and I were listed as attorneys in the May/June HSLDA Court Report that is sent out to their members. In this Court Report they were soliciting funds for Germany. One HSLDA attorney told me that this was an accidental mistake made by HSLDA.

This was not a mistake that they intentionally listed us as attorneys and I can prove it. Why, if it was a mistake, did HSLDA not make an effort to correct it?

Accused of Stealing

Later, HSLDA attorney Chris Klicka began to tell others behind our back that we had embezzled money that HSLDA raised and sent for attorneys and rather spent it on our own personal needs. Then, HSLDA’s Mike Smith, Mike Farris, and Chris Klicka corroborated in a telephone conference and stated to us and to a former judge who accompanied us to a meeting with Mike Farris that the money HSLDA donated to Germany was from the beginning only raised and sent for attorneys. (Where is the evidence?)

Then Chris denied that he knew that we were authorized to receive the money until near the end of the time we were in Germany. (A proven lie.) Then he told the president of our organization, Schuzh that he had told the Smiths on numerous occasions that the money HSLDA was sending to Germany was for attorneys, which was another lie. (Chris was the vice president of Schuzh so he knew all of Schuzh business.

Clearly stated in the official minutes of the 2003, 2004, 2005 annual Schuzh meetings, the money raised and sent by HSLDA to Schuzh was to be given to the Smiths for their work in Germany).

Since Schuzh was a for-profit organization and since we were not attorneys who were receiving the money HSLDA had raised for Germany, there may have been a problem with their charter. At any rate, during the first year that they sent the money they did not write anything into the remarks column of the electronic transfers specifying what the money was designated for.

It was only later that they entered into the remarks column that it was for German homeschoolers. It appears that since 9/11, it has become more difficult to send money overseas, especially for political efforts like we were involved in. I have been told that there must be a close accounting of the money and what it is being used for.

HSLDA did not account for the money they were sending and then later shamelessly behind our back accused us of embezzling it. I believe that the IRS should do an investigation of HSLDA on this account.

Moving to America

We arrived in America ready to embrace the American lifestyle, full of joy and expectancy, and ready to go to work. We have been dumbfounded by the hard hearts and the cruelty that has greeted us.

I had heard accounts of the misdeeds of HSLDA and its leaders but I had a difficult time believing that these accounts were true. That is until I myself became a victim.

The more I plead with these men to do their moral and Christian duty, the more they refused. Knowing full well what they have done, they refuse to help my family and I even a little bit, through their actions I have lost my livelihood, my home, my retirement, and my ministry in Germany.

After Mike Farris slandered me in Germany, he and HSLDA stepped in to try to assume my ministry there. But the German attorneys involved know and say that my wife and I cannot be replaced. HSLDA giving some families money for legal fees or relocation is not the remedy that will allow Germany to win the battle for freedom of education.

Please allow me to tell you my story. I have ample evidence to support everything I will tell you here.

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