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Three families, members of the Old Order Amish religion and the Conservative Amish Mennonite Church, sued the state of Wisconsin because of a requirement that children be enrolled in school until the age of sixteen.The parents refused to follow the law and removed their children from the public schools after the eighth grade and continued their education at home, emphasizing domestic and farming skills. According to them, any further education in the schools would present their children with too much exposure to the "evil world." The Case of Wisconsin vs. Yoder (Docket #70-110) goes back to the year 1972. Jonas Yoder andWallace Miller were both members of the Amish religion. Adin Yutzy, also prosecuted under the Wisconsin law, represented the Conservative Amish Mennonite Church. The reason for prosecution was because there was a law that stated all children must attend public school until the age of sixteen. The three parents, all being Amish, refused to obey such a law and pulled their children out of school after the 8th grade. Their argument was that the high school attendance was opposite their religious beliefs.
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