A five-year-old child has reportedly been removed from her school in Louisiana because her adoptive parents are a same-sex couple.
Emily and Jennifer Parker say they were called in by the school principal two days before their daughter Zoey’s first day of kindergarten. During the meeting, they were told that she could not attend the school because of their “lifestyle choices”.
The couple adopted Jennifer’s niece Zoey earlier this month after her father died as a result of an industrial accident in 2020.
Jennifer explained to CNBC News “She lost her father, she lost her mother, and now she’s losing her school which she loves very much.”
Zoey attended the Bible Baptist Academy school in Louisiana last semester for Pre-Kindergarten, however, since the adoption went through the school administration appears to have taken a dramatic u-turn on their tolerance of the couple’s relationship.
In a statement released by the school, they maintain, “The Bible also teaches us to love everyone with the love of God despite their personal choices. We strive to teach this to the students who attend.
A Louisiana 5-year-old, Zoey Parker, was kicked out of her kindergarten class at Bible Baptist Academy because her parents, Emily & Jennie Parker, are a same-sex couple. The Parkers recently adopted Zoey, who is Jennie’s niece, after her father died September 2020.
?????
— @297_Aruba_Lover (@297_ArubaLover) August 11, 2022
“Regarding personal relationships, we hold that those relationships, whether in dating or in marriage, should be between a man and a woman.”
Defending the decision to exclude Zoey the statement goes on, “And as a Christian institution, we are protected by federal laws that give us the opportunity to teach and practice our beliefs… There are times where [sic] our commitment to upholding our Christian values will not line up with the values of other people. This should not be interpreted that we have any hatred or malice toward them.”
Despite the Bible Baptist Academy’s deplorable conduct, the family are looking upon the event as a positive. As Jennifer explained, “It’s a blessing in disguise. We have an opportunity to bring her to school here which is a little closer and let her make some new friends.”
© 2022 GCN (Gay Community News). All rights reserved.
Support GCN
GCN has been a vital, free-of-charge information service for Ireland’s LGBTQ+ community since 1988.
During this global COVID pandemic, we like many other organisations have been impacted greatly in the way we can do business and produce. This means a temporary pause to our print publication and live events and so now more than ever we need your help to continue providing this community resource digitally.
GCN is a registered charity with a not-for-profit business model and we need your support. If you value having an independent LGBTQ+ media in Ireland, you can help from as little as €1.99 per month. Support Ireland’s free, independent LGBTQ+ media.
comments. Please sign in to comment.