Home-School Abuse Charged

Aug. 24 -- Until this year, 14-year-old Kathleen Lavery had never attended a public school.

Kathleen, along with her four brothers and sisters, were model home-taught students who garnered local press in Akron, Ohio, when they began winning spelling bees and other academic contests.

But prosecutors say there was a darker side to the Laverys’ accomplishments.

Summit County prosecutor Michael Callahan said this week that Thomas Lavery’s need for his children’s success drove him to torture them and even threaten to kill them when they didn’t meet his expectations.

Lavery, 56, was indicted Tuesday on eight felony counts and one misdemeanor count of endangering children. He is free on $2,500 bond pending his arraignment Friday.

Emotional, Physical Abuse Charged

Prosecutors say Lavery emotionally and physically abused some of his children because they didn’t do as well as he had hoped.

In one case, Lavery allegedly refused to let Kathleen eat, sleep or use the bathroom after she finished second in a local spelling bee earlier this year.

He also is accused of threatening to kill Marjory Lavery, now 18, when she lost in the final round of the 1995 Spelling Bee in Washington.

According to prosecutors, her mother and other family members had to restrain Lavery after Marjory, 13 at the time, misspelled “cappelletti” — ;a kind of pasta — and came in second.

Lavery’s attorney, Peter Cahoon, declined to comment, saying he wanted to meet with Lavery and review the allegations.

School Brings Case to Light

Callahan said the abuse may have gone unnoticed a lot longer had it not been for a school administrator who filed a complaint after Kathleen Lavery, who wanted to participate in group sports, began attending public schools this year.

Callahan said the charges against Lavery are not necessarily an indictment against home schooling, but the case shows the danger of an overly determined parent when outsiders aren’t around to step in.