Oprah's essay contest excludes homeschoolers

WorldNetDaily February 2, 2006


"Contest open to all legal residents of the U.S. who are currently enrolled full-time (and in good standing) in a public or state-accredited private or parochial school, grades 9-12," states the fine print on a page explaining the contest on Winfrey's website.

Despite the restriction, a letter from Winfrey announcing the contest, which will judge essays on the book "Night," says it is open "to high school students across America."


Michael Smith, president of the Homeschool Legal Defense Association, or HSLDA, wrote an open letter to Winfrey protesting the policy.

"We contacted your show to see if homeschoolers could be included and were rebuffed," wrote Smith. "While we do not believe that your show willfully excluded homeschoolers, the fact that homeschoolers were excluded in the first place is troubling."