— — A woman who pulled her openly gay son out of North Tonawanda schools in 2005 after his life was threatened has been denied an appeal on charges filed against her alleging educational neglect.

Michael Mangus was bullied and threatened for being openly gay until his mother Rhonda Mangus removed him from classes. Her decision to home school the then-teen was instead viewed as truancy by the district and reported to county and state child protective services.

In recent weeks, the latest of about three appeals since Mangus was charged with educational neglect was denied by the state’s highest appellate court.

“Plans to pursue the matter at the Federal court level are being considered now,” she said Tuesday.

Mangus’ latest appeal was made directly to the court in an effort to reverse the charges against her and argue school officials filed false reports with state and county child protective services all those years ago.

Mangus, a former substitute teacher, decided to home-school Michael in 2005 while contending the district failed to provide a safe learning environment for him. But she herself was charged with educational neglect in the aftermath, though she has long claimed she was denied access to course work and that Michael’s absences were approved by two medical professionals.

Furthermore, Mangus has contended a report by high school officials after the teen missed 34 days of school didn’t address the circumstances of her decision — that her son’s life had been threatened.

“If you are perceiving my child as the problem you’re not going to make any changes in your environment — perceiving any child as the problem,” she said. “It’s about a parent’s right to protect their child.”

In the end, Mangus missed more school as options to make up for lost time slipped away, she has indicated. Michael Mangus earned his GED last year on his own.

Earlier this year, the State Supreme Court’s Fourth Department appeals court sided with lawyers for the Niagara County Department of Social Services and state office of Child and Family Services, who said granting her a new day in court was unjustified. They put forth their opinions that Mangus didn’t prove the first court had mishandled facts in the case, nor that the issue was of sufficient public importance.

Mangus, who vehemently disagrees, resubmitted her case directly to the New York State Court of Appeals shortly thereafter and is now preparing to appeal outside of state jurisdiction.

Michael Mangus suffered at the hands of what she has repeatedly said was chronic physical and emotional abuse by his peers. The abuse started after Michael decided to speak freely about his sexuality.

Since then, the case has raised interest outside the state of New York when prominent Illinois attorney Jay Paul Deratany, who helped her file her latest appeal, chose to advise her free of charge.

Deratany agreed to advise Mangus in February after an employee in his office who knows Mangus briefed him about her ongoing fight to clear her name. In 2008, Deratany — with a track record of volunteer community involvement — wrote a play produced in Chicago called “Haram Iran,” which depicts the true story of two young homosexuals on trial in that country.

“Federal court is the next step and that’s what I’m considering,” Mangus said, declining further comment for the time being.