XxProphetessxX
Cadet
<span style='font-size:8pt;line-height:100%'>High school senior came 'out' - and was expelled
By Elizabeth Clarke, Palm Beach Post Religion Writer
Saturday, October 25, 2003
JUPITER -- Jeffrey Woodard's parents never took him to church. They certainly didn't ever plan to send him to a religious high school. But when he was 14, Jeffrey asked his mom if he could attend Jupiter Christian School. He told her he felt God leading him there.
Carol Gload liked the idea. She thought it would help Jeff spiritually and academically, and he started after Thanksgiving of his freshman year. As a senior this year, he was especially looking forward to singing in the choir and Bible class.
But on the third day of school, his Bible teacher -- who is also the school chaplain -- pulled him out of class with a personal question. Jeffrey said the teacher assured him they were having a confidential conversation, and then asked whether it was true that Jeffrey was a homosexual.
"I told him, 'Yes, I am gay,' " Jeffrey says. "I was just being totally honest with him because I don't lie."
Two days later, he was expelled.
In a short meeting at the school, he and his mother say, they were offered the options of counseling to change Jeff's sexual orientation, voluntary withdrawal or expulsion. The first two choices weren't acceptable to them, leaving only expulsion.
"I was just shocked," says Jeffrey, who was not public about his sexuality at school. "I just couldn't believe what I was hearing."
His mom is outraged -- and sad that her son had to go through this. She and Jeffrey filed a lawsuit against the school Tuesday.
"He was crushed," Gload says, tears welling in her eyes. "He was devastated. It was very hard."
But it's something that could happen at other Christian schools in Florida, even those that accept public money through the state's voucher program as Jupiter Christian does.
The law doesn't prohibit sexual discrimination at private schools, according to Howard Burke, executive director of the Florida Association of Christian Colleges and Schools, which represents 170 conservative Christian schools in Florida.
Schools that accept disabled students using vouchers must comply with a federal code banning discrimination based on race, color or national origin -- but not sexuality, he says.
"Christian schools do not have to compromise their biblical standards to accept a child on a voucher," Burke says.
The state Department of Education did not respond to repeated requests to confirm that.
Gload disagrees with Jupiter Christian's stance on homosexuality but believes the school is entitled to it. The policy, however, should be explicitly stated in the school's documents for students and parents to consider, she says. And she doesn't think it should be able to accept vouchers.
"I have trouble with them taking any nickel from my pocket to support their discrimination," she says. "If this is their policy, they need to put it out there."</span>
Read the rest of the article here.
Any thoughts?
By Elizabeth Clarke, Palm Beach Post Religion Writer
Saturday, October 25, 2003
JUPITER -- Jeffrey Woodard's parents never took him to church. They certainly didn't ever plan to send him to a religious high school. But when he was 14, Jeffrey asked his mom if he could attend Jupiter Christian School. He told her he felt God leading him there.
Carol Gload liked the idea. She thought it would help Jeff spiritually and academically, and he started after Thanksgiving of his freshman year. As a senior this year, he was especially looking forward to singing in the choir and Bible class.
But on the third day of school, his Bible teacher -- who is also the school chaplain -- pulled him out of class with a personal question. Jeffrey said the teacher assured him they were having a confidential conversation, and then asked whether it was true that Jeffrey was a homosexual.
"I told him, 'Yes, I am gay,' " Jeffrey says. "I was just being totally honest with him because I don't lie."
Two days later, he was expelled.
In a short meeting at the school, he and his mother say, they were offered the options of counseling to change Jeff's sexual orientation, voluntary withdrawal or expulsion. The first two choices weren't acceptable to them, leaving only expulsion.
"I was just shocked," says Jeffrey, who was not public about his sexuality at school. "I just couldn't believe what I was hearing."
His mom is outraged -- and sad that her son had to go through this. She and Jeffrey filed a lawsuit against the school Tuesday.
"He was crushed," Gload says, tears welling in her eyes. "He was devastated. It was very hard."
But it's something that could happen at other Christian schools in Florida, even those that accept public money through the state's voucher program as Jupiter Christian does.
The law doesn't prohibit sexual discrimination at private schools, according to Howard Burke, executive director of the Florida Association of Christian Colleges and Schools, which represents 170 conservative Christian schools in Florida.
Schools that accept disabled students using vouchers must comply with a federal code banning discrimination based on race, color or national origin -- but not sexuality, he says.
"Christian schools do not have to compromise their biblical standards to accept a child on a voucher," Burke says.
The state Department of Education did not respond to repeated requests to confirm that.
Gload disagrees with Jupiter Christian's stance on homosexuality but believes the school is entitled to it. The policy, however, should be explicitly stated in the school's documents for students and parents to consider, she says. And she doesn't think it should be able to accept vouchers.
"I have trouble with them taking any nickel from my pocket to support their discrimination," she says. "If this is their policy, they need to put it out there."</span>
Read the rest of the article here.
Any thoughts?