NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A couple who fled Germany with their five children over fears they would lose custody for not sending them to school has asked a federal appeals court to grant them asylum in the U.S.
The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decided this week to hear oral arguments in April.
Attendance in a state-approved school is required in Germany, and parents who violate the law can face fines, jail and possible custody loss. Nonetheless, Uwe and Hannelore Romeike removed their children from school in 2006 because they felt it was turning the children against the family's Christian values.
The U.S. government believes the Romeikes' case does not rise to the level of persecution, and they are not being singled out for their religious beliefs.
(Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
