When state Rep. Terra Costa Howard began her efforts to pass new legislation that would reform Illinois’ homeschooling system, she never imagined tensions escalating like they did on April 2, 2025.

It was that day that Costa Howard(D-42nd), from Lombard, received an anonymous letter stating, “If we have to break the sixth commandment, so be it. God said ‘Do Not Kill’, but he also said ‘Smite Thine Enemy’. We’re watching …”

The threatening letter, now under investigation by Lombard police, offers a snapshot into the intense controversy surrounding the bill, HB 2827 or the Homeschool Act, which Costa Howard has proposed to enact regulations around homeschooling in Illinois.

A photocopy of the letter, postmarked from New Jersey, was included in a Lombard police report obtained by the DePaul University Center for Journalism Integrity and Excellence (CJIE) through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.

“The intensity of [the letter] does not match the intent of the bill, which is to keep kids safe and to make sure they get an education,” Costa Howard said.

Illinois is one of 12 states with virtually no enforced regulations around homeschooling, but the bill would change that. Sponsored by 16 other Democratic state representatives, the law aims to reduce “abuse and neglect” of homeschool children.