A boy does school work on a desk next to a computer, tablet and various schools supplies. (eclipse_images / Getty Images)
By Michael Austin July 11, 2026 at 8:00am
Brazilian authorities sentenced two homeschooling parents to prison for educating their own daughters and refusing to teach them about left-wing gender ideology.
Audato and Ieda Denardi received 50-day prison sentences, with a court claiming they are guilty of “intellectual neglect,” according to a June 16 release from ADF International.
The two girls, aged 15 and 11, were deemed to be uneducated in cultural diversity because they were unfamiliar with “trap” and “sertanejo” music.
But both girls are “accomplished pianists and speak multiple languages,” according to the release.
The judge also noted that the parents did not incorporate “gender and sex education” curriculum into their home education programming.
The Denardis are appealing the ruling and “challenging the state’s attempt to imprison them for exercising their right to direct their children’s education,” ADF International added.
The 7 Cãmara Criminal do Tribunal de Justiça do Estado de São Paulo, which is the highest court in their state, will consider the appeal.
“As a mother, I cannot conceive a more dictatorial state than the one that wants me in jail because I chose to exercise my right to direct the education and upbringing of my daughters,” Ieda Denardi said in the release.
“My husband and I are hopeful the court will recognize our right to choose the best education for our children and overturn this unjust conviction.”
Even the prosecutor had recommended that the court acquit the parents, concluding that the girls were by no means neglected.
The judge wrote in his opinion that the Denardis were “using their daughters as pawns in an ideological struggle, subjecting them to a form of unregulated education, the effectiveness and quality of which lack adequate metrics within the Brazilian legal system, while completely excluding the State’s involvement.”
Some Brazilian lawmakers have taken notice of the plight of homeschooling families.
The South American nation’s House of Representatives passed a homeschooling bill in 2022, but the legislation has not yet advanced in the Senate.
ADF International noted that although 70,000 Brazilian children are homeschooled, there is not a “clear legal framework” for parents.
The Brazilian Supreme Court ruled in 2019 that homeschooling did not violate their Constitution, but said there must be a federal law to handle the practice.
Without such a law, parents have faced an unclear legal environment and a constant possibility of punishment.
“Until now, it has been treated as an administrative offense for failing to register the children in school,” ADF International said.
“The Denardis are the first parents to be criminally convicted for homeschooling their children.”
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Michael wrote for several entertainment news outlets before joining The Western Journal in 2020. He now serves as Managing Editor, which involves managing the editorial team and operations, guiding the publication’s editorial direction, and writing, editing, curating and assigning stories as needed.
Birthplace
Ames, Iowa
Nationality
American
Education
Iowa State University
Topics of Expertise
Cultural Politics, Pop Culture, Christian-Conservatism
