FAST FACTS:
(Rossville, TN 12/22/2011) At least one Rossville, TN, parent is questioning school policy after her child's school sent an updated note defining its position on homosexuality.
"My initial reaction is that it was specifically aimed at one person, and I felt very sad about that," said the parent, who did not want to be identified.
Rossville Christian Academy is a private 4K-12 school with about 300 students. The parent believes the school's "ban" on homosexuality is illegally aimed at one gay student. The new policy reads:
"Homosexuality is forbidden in scripture (Romans 1:27, Leviticus 18:22). A staff member or student who promotes, engages in, or identifies himself/herself with such activity through any word or action shall be in violation of this policy. Should the administration determine a violation of this policy, the person involved will be subject to disciplinary action with the possibility of permanent dismissal. Any applicant who is not in compliance with this policy will not be admitted."
"There's a lot of ambiguety. I believe that it can't be enforced, how it's worded," the parent said. "If my daughter spoke about someone who was gay is she going to be expelled for that or is she going to be put in detention?"
News Channel 3 took the policy to University of Memphis Law Professor Steve Mulroy who said the policy is legal.
"It's entirely legal. There's no federal or state anti-discrimination law that protects gay people," Mulroy said.
Mulroy, who has fought for gay rights in Shelby County, says there are a few scattered local ordinances across the country that protect gays, but none in Tennessee.
"If this were a government school, a public school, there might be a free speech problem to the extent that it says "any word or action promoting it," but there's really no legal problem I see with this," Mulroy said.
"Not only is this a private organization, it's also a private religious organization, so it would probably have even more latitude under the law to have its policies about gays be whatever they want it to be," he added.
We contacted several Rossville Christian Academy board members for interviews, but they either did not return our calls or denied our requests. The parent we spoke with says she will not go as far as to remove her child from the school at this point, but will continue to question policies.
"If you're going to single out one thing that you say is a sin, then maybe we have to address every single thing," she said.
- Rossville Christian Academy is a private school in Rossville, TN
- The school recently updated its policies, basically banning homosexuality
- Lawyers say the move is legal
(Rossville, TN 12/22/2011) At least one Rossville, TN, parent is questioning school policy after her child's school sent an updated note defining its position on homosexuality.
"My initial reaction is that it was specifically aimed at one person, and I felt very sad about that," said the parent, who did not want to be identified.
Rossville Christian Academy is a private 4K-12 school with about 300 students. The parent believes the school's "ban" on homosexuality is illegally aimed at one gay student. The new policy reads:
"Homosexuality is forbidden in scripture (Romans 1:27, Leviticus 18:22). A staff member or student who promotes, engages in, or identifies himself/herself with such activity through any word or action shall be in violation of this policy. Should the administration determine a violation of this policy, the person involved will be subject to disciplinary action with the possibility of permanent dismissal. Any applicant who is not in compliance with this policy will not be admitted."
"There's a lot of ambiguety. I believe that it can't be enforced, how it's worded," the parent said. "If my daughter spoke about someone who was gay is she going to be expelled for that or is she going to be put in detention?"
News Channel 3 took the policy to University of Memphis Law Professor Steve Mulroy who said the policy is legal.
"It's entirely legal. There's no federal or state anti-discrimination law that protects gay people," Mulroy said.
Mulroy, who has fought for gay rights in Shelby County, says there are a few scattered local ordinances across the country that protect gays, but none in Tennessee.
"If this were a government school, a public school, there might be a free speech problem to the extent that it says "any word or action promoting it," but there's really no legal problem I see with this," Mulroy said.
"Not only is this a private organization, it's also a private religious organization, so it would probably have even more latitude under the law to have its policies about gays be whatever they want it to be," he added.
We contacted several Rossville Christian Academy board members for interviews, but they either did not return our calls or denied our requests. The parent we spoke with says she will not go as far as to remove her child from the school at this point, but will continue to question policies.
"If you're going to single out one thing that you say is a sin, then maybe we have to address every single thing," she said.
