A Brazilian court has sentenced parents Audato and Ieda Denardi to 50 days in prison for homeschooling their children. A judge convicted them of “intellectual neglect” for not including curriculum that includes “gender and sex education” and “tolerance and diversity” education.
The April 2026 sentence, ruled by a São Paulo court, is suspended as the Denardi family appeals to the state’s highest court.
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In 2020, the Denardi parents started homeschooling their two daughters after they witnessed flaws within the public education system while their daughters learned through remote education. Alliance Defending Freedom International, which is representing the parents legally, said that the Denardi parents observed a substantial improvement in the girls’ academics once they began homeschooling. In their home, the daughters, 11 and 15, learned to speak multiple languages and are accomplished pianists.
ADF’s press release also notes the parents have “enjoyed being able to incorporate their faith and personal values into their learning.”
During the April hearing, the prosecutor concluded that the children were not neglected and recommended to the judge that they be acquitted of the charge. Yet the court ruled that the girls were not educated in cultural diversity because they did not like “trap” or “sertanejo” (folk) music.
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EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Hannah Davis and originally published by Decision Magazine.
