A Brazilian court has sentenced mother and father Audto and Ieda Denardi to 50 days in prison for homeschooling their daughters, Alice (15) and Lorena (11), after they refused to teach state-mandated lessons on gender ideology and diversity. The ruling, handed down in April 2026 despite a prosecutor’s recommendation for acquittal, marks the first criminal conviction in Brazil specifically for homeschooling.
The Denardis began educating their children at home in 2020 following the academic and moral failures of pandemic-era remote government schooling. They sought to provide a rigorous, values-based curriculum free from ideological pressures now pervasive in state institutions. The court convicted them of “intellectual neglect,” citing their refusal to incorporate mandated lessons on gender ideology and certain music genres deemed morally objectionable by their daughter.
Documentation submitted to the court revealed the girls’ academic excellence: they study multiple languages, play piano at a high level, and read dozens of books annually—exceeding typical public-school benchmarks. Their mother holds degrees in pedagogy and mathematics. An independent educational psychologist consulted by the court confirmed no neglect existed.
The Denardis are appealing the ruling before Brazil’s 7th criminal chamber of the Tribunal of Justice of the State of São Paulo, with support from the Alliance Defending Freedom International. The organization stated: “A parent has been sentenced to prison not for failing to educate her children, but for educating them according to her own values.”
This case reflects a growing global trend where courts in Brazil and elsewhere are interpreting homeschooling as an administrative offense that can escalate into criminal neglect when parents reject state-mandated ideologies. In 2025, UNESCO released a report urging home education to align with “societal needs,” reinforcing the state’s authority over educational content.
The Denardis’ case underscores the escalating conflict between parental rights and state control over children’s upbringing, as families across Latin America and beyond face legal consequences for teaching according to their convictions.