Posted on 09/26/2005 10:31:48 PM PDT by Bonaparte
Daughter of lesbian couple expelled By Mason Stockstill, Staff Writer ONTARIO - A Chino couple plans to picket a Christian school in Ontario on Monday because officials expelled their daughter after learning her parents are lesbians. Tina Clark said the superintendent of Ontario Christian High School gave her a letter explaining that 14-year-old freshman Shay Clark was being kicked out because her parents' sexual orientation is "inconsistent with a positive Christian life style." "My sexual orientation should have nothing to do with her getting an education," Tina Clark said. "I'm the one that's gay. My daughter's not. Why should her civil rights be infringed?" Shay was crushed by what happened earlier this week, which she said came as a surprise. "I knew that I might have problems," Shay said. "But I never thought it would go that far." Principal Tim Hoekstra and Superintendent Len Stob did not return repeated calls Thursday and Friday seeking comment. Phone calls to several school trustees also were not returned. Clark and her partner, Mitzi Gray, have been together for 22 years. They didn't expect Shay would experience discrimination at the school because her older sister had attended Ontario Christian schools from sixth through ninth grade. Additionally, Shay said her friends knew she lived in a home with two mothers, and "it was never a problem." On Tuesday, however, that changed. Gray said when she went to an unrelated parent meeting that Clark was unable to attend, school administrators were confused by her different last name. The next day, both women were called in and asked point-blank if they were gay, Clark said. When they said they were, Shay was expelled. "These are the same people that patted me on the back the Friday before that and asked me how my week had gone," Clark said. The family's situation is not unusual, said Johnny Chagolla of the Rainbow Pride Youth Alliance, a gay-rights organization in San Bernardino. Often, he said, students at religious schools are more likely to face discrimination. "In cases like this, there's a concern," Chagolla said. "A lot of (religious school officials) say they're very open and affirming, and then you see this, and it contradicts what they're saying." A similar situation arose earlier this year at a Catholic school in Costa Mesa, when parents pressured administrators into barring gay parents after a gay couple enrolled their twin sons at the school. Ontario Christian is affiliated with the Christian Reformed Church, a denomination that considers homosexuality a "condition of disordered sexuality," according to the Web site of the Christian Reformed Church of North America. The church considers the act of homosexual sex to be a sin, which "must be condemned as incompatible with obedience to the will of God as revealed in scripture." However, according to the group's Web site, the church should help gay Christians and "give them support toward healing and wholeness." As the family gathered outside the school for a news conference Friday, students and staff peered at the scene out of the windows. Receptionist Cory Overstreet said administrators would not be available to comment. According to the letter signed by Stob, school officials were not aware of Clark and Gray's relationship at the time Shay was admitted. But both women said that question was never asked, and that both of their names were included in all of the required paperwork. "Had we known they were against homosexuality, we would never have sought this school out," Gray said. "It wasn't like we announced it to the world, but it wasn't a secret, either. We've always been a family." Shay's educational future is unclear. At first, Clark had hoped there was a way Shay could return to Ontario Christian. But now, no one in the family backs that idea. The family is looking for another private school Shay can attend, but the admissions process is typically long, and she might not get in anywhere this year. Public school will probably be the answer for now, Clark said. After she gets to a new school, the family may consider legal action, Clark said. The expulsion was difficult for Shay, who said she is upset about being separated from her friends. As for the school's leadership, "They should be embarrassed," Shay said. - Mason Stockstill can be reached by e-mail mason.stockstill@dailybulletin.com , or by phone at (909) 483-9354
Women plan to protest outside Ontario Christian school
That said, even if (hypothetically) the school had a separate contract with the child, the child herself would be in violation of that agreement. She clearly supports her "parents" in their unrepentant sinning. That alone would disqualify her.
Jesus tells us to repent and that we shall not enter the kingdom unless we do.
The "parents" do not repent and the girl supports their unrepentent sinning. It's right there in the girl's statement at the end of the article.
If God denies heaven to the unrepentent what is wrong with this school denying association to the unrepentent?
Walk into any Bible-believing church and tell them that you would like to join their congregation but are an unrepentant sinner who feels no remorse and has no intention of changing his ways. What do you think they will tell you? They will tell you the same thing Jesus tells us -- Repent!
tell me how specifically they would stumble when they would not know that this childs mother is gay? Would I let my daughter spend the night at her house knowing that they were gay? NO. would I let the girl spend the night at our house, yes supervised like all children.
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Wow you are a bit bitter arent you. Well my experience was going to public schools all my life until college. I had a very strong youth group. I would say of that group out of about 20 people that went to private christian schools exactly none are professed practicing or believing Christians today.
I am sorry you had a hard time in public school. Kids can be cruel, and I am wondering if this child is now feeling much like you did while you were in public school. Doesnt it seem wrong that she has to escape a private christian school and go to a secular school to escape this public retrobution NOT because of her behavior but that of her mother?
I can see that message being sent if that 14 year old girl were a flaming bull dike attending that school. But it is not the daughter that is a lesbian is it? Let me ask you this... at that age peer pressure is present in any school correct?
Are you saying that there would not be a influence on this girls morals toward stronger belief in Christ? And if her conviction was that her mom is not leading the life that she should she could be a witness to her? How much influence can a student body have on one girl as opposed to ones girls Mothers behavior have on an entire student body..... especially a student body in prayer?
Bitter? I said nothing bitter. I am defending true Christian schools.
SHE defends her "parents'" lifestyle. That IS her behavior. I don't think that the school's Biblical and moral training should have to be watered down so as not to "offend" this "family" either.
Her "parents" made it public, the school didn't.
IF the girl says my parents are gay and I think that is swell then she wouldnt be following the code of ethics that she signed herself then would she? In that case then it is the students beliefs that are out of line with the code that she said she agreed with and thus would need to part ways. But if the student says.... my momma is a crack addict and prostitutes herself but I am a Christian and want a christian education .... then what do you do???
Kick her out tell her to come back when her moms life is straight? Im not sure we see that model in the new testament.
Did Christ say to the woman caught in adultry....
Bring me this womans children that they may be stoned too?
and then they brought him a man blind from birth and said... teacher who sinned this man's parents?
Was he saying that his blindess was caused by their sin? NO as a matter of fact I think he specically makes that point that he isnt. Now with this girl she probably has only known this as her model of parenting. IF she develops her own faith and accepts the Lord into her life she will have the responsibility to share that with her mother. If her mother rejects it then she can only pray for her.... should she be punished for her moms sin?
nope the school did by kicking her out. It was handled badly on all levels. Here is the problem, many Christian use the excuse that they dont want someone around when they say 'they will cause me to stumble." Well the scripture says... causes a weaker one to stumble" Who is the weaker one of faith here...??? THe 14 year old child? or the Schools administration? I would assume if you are the superintendent of a large ( and this one is because several of my friends attended there) Christian school I would think you might be the one of stronger faith. And with that stronger faith are you not responsible for those with weaker faith... lets say a 14 year old girl that lives in a home where values are so screwed up they call evil good and good evil?
Their move was that of self interest not of helping a weaker one.
WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER CHILDREN AT THE SCHOOL?????
The "parents" are unrepentent and now the girl has revealed that she, too, does not recognize the necessity of repentence.
God rejects the unrepentent and through His apostle Paul, He reminds us of this.
Besides what is a "true Christian school"? like the preacher says " just because you sit in a garage it does not make you a car.... " Just because you send a child to a Christian school or Church does not make them Christian.
Tell me political mom...... Do you think this served the
cause of Christ more now that this story has gone out world wide? Is this the witness Christ wants for us to the world?
If you were saying this girl was gay and was going to recruit others then I agree she could not stay.... If she wanted to be in a Christian School for her own growth and she was expelled for her moms behavior.... well...... I would ask you to stand before Christ and be accountable for that, I will be holding the coats.
You never answered the question about the parents that are divorced. Or having adulterous relationships. Or the single mom living with her boyfriend. Does the school ask each parent what sins they are currently involved in they have not repented for? If not why not? You see where it gets foggy?
Answer this .... If this was your childs school and they knew of all your secret sin would your child be at school this morning?
THE OTHER CHILDREN DONT KNOW HER MOTHER IS GAY!!!!! SHEESH and if they did would that not be gossip? that my friend is a sin.
You could have condensed all of that into, "My sin is better than your sin." Then again, that would probably have been way to revealing for your own comfort.
Excuse me, but when her "mothers" show up at school functions, it would become pretty obvious, which is what actually HAPPENED, AND she was apparently talking about it at a school game.
This school does not enter into an isolated relationship with the girl and a separate relationship with the "parents." The school makes it clear that they enter into relationship with a whole family.
And by her open support for her "parents'" lesbianism, the girl has just made the school's case for them. All three disregard God's command to repent.
"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
How do you know this?
Even if it were so, is hiding the truth your answer to the problem of unrepentent sin?
"My sexual orientation should have nothing to do with her getting an education,"
[SAMS]: "..and it won't, at a taxpayer funded school where [they] EMBRACE this behavior."
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As though the only place Shay Clark can get an education is that particular kind of school, a school whose requirements this family knew they didn't meet.
To me, the issue has nothing to do with SC being deprived of educational opportunity. She can get that at many other schools. It has to do with this family crashing somebody's party and then whining when they are shown the door.
I'm started to believe this was a "set-up" from the very beginning, they are using their daughter to push an agenda. It's like when Mom's tried enrolling their daughters in Boy Scouts...
Now what do you suppose Shay said to that crowd that would cause her to be reprimanded and what did she say that caused her "parents'" lebianism to come to the attention of the school?
Are you sure you want to maintain that the other children did not know the "parents" were homosexual?
Are you sure that girl did not confide in her girlfriends about her homosexual parents? Would that square with what we know about teenaged girls and their friends?
I ask you again why you are so categorically certain that none of the other children knew about the "parents'" lesbian relationship. How do you know this?
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