Missouri Supreme Court Hears Case From Lebanon

Should a parent be jailed if their child misses too many days of school? That’s before the Missouri Supreme Court, as they’re considering a case from the town of Lebanon. Caitlyn Williams was jailed for 7 days last year because her first-grade daughter missed 15 days of school. State law requires that students “regularly” attend classes, or their parent or guardian can be jailed. Shaun Mackelprang of the Attorney General’s office defended the law and the sentence handed down to Williams during a hearing earlier this month:

An attorney representing Williams disagreed, saying the law is too vague and that various school districts apply the definition differently. The Missouri Supreme Court will rule on the case later.