Author Topic: Christian school principal says 8-year-old girl not welcome because she dresses and behaves like a boy  (Read 1160 times)

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Oceander

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Christian school principal says 8-year-old girl not welcome because she dresses and behaves like a boy

By Charlene Sakoda


The family of Sunnie Kahle, an 8-year-old from Timberlake, Virginia, recently received a letter from her school, Timberlake Christian School (TCS), in which the principal informed them that, “TCS is not the best place for [Sunnie’s] future education,” because her dress and behavior were not feminine enough.

As reported by WSET 13 News, the letter emphasized that Sunnie, who sports jeans, sneakers and a short hair cut, could be denied continued enrollment in the school. According to the TCS guidelines, enrollment at the bible-based institution could be refused to students who live in, condone, or support “sexual immorality; practicing homosexual lifestyle or alternative gender identity; promoting such practices; or otherwise having the inability to support the moral principles of the school.” The letter cited Bible verses, which they say are the basis of TCP’s principles.

Additionally the principal wrote, "We believe that unless Sunnie as well as her family clearly understand that God has made her female and her dress and behavior need to follow suit with her God-ordained identity, that TCS is not the best place for her future education."

The correspondence understandably upset Sunnie’s grandparents, Doris and Carroll Thompson, who adopted and raised their granddaughter. Carroll told the station, “How do you label a child, 8-years-old, or discriminate against an eight year old child? It just don’t happen.” Doris said, "How do you tell a child when she wants to wear pants and shirt, and go out and play in the mud and so forth, how do you tell her, ‘No you can't. You've got to wear a pink bow in your hair and you've got to let your hair grow out long.’ How do you do that? I can't do that.”

The Thompsons feel that Sunnie is a completely normal girl and the school’s stance is absolutely unwarranted. Soon after they received the letter, the Thompsons pulled Sunnie out of TCS. Doris said, “She cries every morning to get on the bus. She cries when she comes home because she wants to go back to Timberlake Christian with her friends.”

The principal also alluded to times when Sunnie’s fellow students were “confused about whether she is a boy or girl.” But Doris knows that her granddaughter is clear about her gender identity as a girl, explaining, "Sunnie says, 'I'm a girl. I know I'm a girl.' And she said well, then you know, you're acting and looking, and wanting to look and act like a boy."

Another school administrator told the station off camera, that Sunnie is a good student but the problem extends, “far beyond her hair length.” Adding, “Things disturbed the classroom environment.” School administrators told the station that they’ve made no accusations about “Sunnie being anything or anyone,” but rather, they were just asking that her family follow the school guidelines. The Thompsons are sticking with their decision and reportedly do not plan on re-enrolling their granddaughter at Timberlake Christian School.

Video and more info: WSET

Oceander

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I can just imagine the invective being hurled at this poor child on a certain other forum.

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Maybe the school should have adopted a dress code before issuing arbitrary pronouncements about apparel choices.
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Offline Millee

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"We believe that unless Sunnie as well as her family clearly understand that God has made her female and her dress and behavior need to follow suit with her God-ordained identity, that TCS is not the best place for her future education."

Can't remember the last time I wore a dress.  Pretty sure that's not what makes me a female. 

Offline alicewonders

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Another candidate article for the "Fascist School Administrator" category. 
« Last Edit: March 26, 2014, 06:36:26 pm by alicewonders »
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Offline LambChop

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This is the stuff that confuses kids.  Not their actions, but the actions of the adults around them.

Lots of little girls are "tomboyish", preferring to be a little rough and ready than play with barbie.  And lots of little girls have short hair, when I was young the pixie hair cut was very popular for little girls.

Puberty hits and it all works itself out.  We get interested in boys, stop climbing trees and playing in dirt and start doing our hair, make-up etc.


Jerks.

Oceander

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This is the stuff that confuses kids.  Not their actions, but the actions of the adults around them.

Lots of little girls are "tomboyish", preferring to be a little rough and ready than play with barbie.  And lots of little girls have short hair, when I was young the pixie hair cut was very popular for little girls.

Puberty hits and it all works itself out.  We get interested in boys, stop climbing trees and playing in dirt and start doing our hair, make-up etc.


Jerks.


:thumbsup:

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And then there's this:
Quote
Another school administrator told the station off camera, that Sunnie is a good student but the problem extends, “far beyond her hair length.” Adding, “Things disturbed the classroom environment.”
There may be facts of which we are unaware.

I understand that people of various religions, including Christians, have particular concerns about what people wear. Orthodox Jews, Sikhs and others have certain requirements about hair, head coverings and the like. My church and I don't happen to require that women cover their heads* or wear long skirts but I wouldn't presume to call those for whom that is important "jerks."

*I Cor. 11:5-6
« Last Edit: March 27, 2014, 12:27:03 pm by mountaineer »
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Offline EC

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She is 8 years old.

Seriously, at that age the only difference was one of us stood behind a tree to pee, and the other crouched.
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She is 8 years old.

Seriously, at that age the only difference was one of us stood behind a tree to pee, and the other crouched.
This is a wacky world in which we live. We've seen too many stories about parents of 5-year-olds who are absolutely convinced their little child is in dire need of sex change surgery just because little Tommy likes pink. Oops, better rename him Tammi and let him use the girls' restroom.

 I agree, 8-year-olds don't know diddly about their supposed sexual orientation. As a girl who played sports all her life and refused to don frills or ruffles, I particularly hate that "tomboys" are presumed to be lesbians.
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Offline musiclady

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"We believe that unless Sunnie as well as her family clearly understand that God has made her female and her dress and behavior need to follow suit with her God-ordained identity, that TCS is not the best place for her future education."

Can't remember the last time I wore a dress.  Pretty sure that's not what makes me a female.

Hear!  Hear!

And loving sports doesn't make you male either.

Why in the world do some (on the left and the right) feel a need to put us all in itty bitty boxes?
Character still matters.  It always matters.

I wear a mask as an exercise in liberty and love for others.  To see it as an infringement of liberty is to entirely miss the point.  Be kind.

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Offline EC

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This is a wacky world in which we live. We've seen too many stories about parents of 5-year-olds who are absolutely convinced their little child is in dire need of sex change surgery just because little Tommy likes pink. Oops, better rename him Tammi and let him use the girls' restroom.

 I agree, 8-year-olds don't know diddly about their supposed sexual orientation. As a girl who played sports all her life and refused to don frills or ruffles, I particularly hate that "tomboys" are presumed to be lesbians.

I bleep hate it.

Look - I have a very, very feminine grand daughter. Loves pink and ruffles, gives me the look - you know, the "you are going out dressed like that?" thing. Everything has to match, just so and she'll not leave the house if her earrings are wrong for her outfit. She's not old enough for make-up yet, but she plans for it (we said when she is 10 she can start wearing lipstick on formal occasions, including Sunday dinner. No eye make-up til she is 16, though she has been caught a couple times applying it!)

Her older sister? You need a crowbar to get her out of jeans and a T-shirt. Her idea of accessorizing is matching the stains on her T and her sweater (which is one of mine that she "borrowed" and fits her about as well as you'd expect. She's about 5 foot tall, I'm over 6!  :laugh:) Only time she gets dressed up is on a Saturday - she plays football and needs her shin pads and uniform. She is 13 - getting interested in boys, now she understands that beating them up is not an acceptable way of showing affection!

Their brother does ballet. He's not bad at it, enjoys it like hell, and doesn't mind both playing with dolls and doing Safi's hair. He goes to ballet class with his mother - she's loved it since she were about 5. They also both go to karate Monday nights. She's a black belt 3rd, he's catching her up.

Kids are just that. Kids. Stop screwing around with the neurotic sexualizing of them and just let the poor sods play! Who cares about "gender" shit?
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Yea, I read this on another site. And me, as a Conservative, thought, man, those people are crazy. Leave the girls alone. I really don't give a shit if anyone is homosexual or not, not that an 8 year old can be, but what I resent is them cramming down my throat. As long as they leave me alone, which girl certainly would, I personally do not care.
 
On the other hand, if this school is Pentecostal they require females to wear a dress as part of their religion. That is, if this was some kind of militant demonstration by the girl's parents to force a school to comform to 'their' values, then that would be a different story entirely.
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Offline NavyCanDo

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Oh dear God.    Stupid actions like this is what turns so many people away from Church. Her clothes, hair and mannerisms are no indication of her sexual orientation. Many girls are tomboys when young. My wife was a huge tomboy when she was young, and in many ways still is.   But even if all indications point to that she is gay, a Christian education is exactly what she needs. Maybe this is just not the Christian school qualified to give it.   Church should be a hospital for the sick, not a refuge for the saints.
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Offline musiclady

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Oh dear God.    Stupid actions like this is what turns so many people away from Church. Her clothes, hair and mannerisms are no indication of her sexual orientation. Many girls are tomboys when young. My wife was a huge tomboy when she was young, and in many ways still is.   But even if all indications point to that she is gay, a Christian education is exactly what she needs. Maybe this is just not the Christian school qualified to give it.   Church should be a hospital for the sick, not a refuge for the saints.

I'm in total agreement.  This kind of idiocy is what turns so many away from the Church.

This principal/administration is so far off a Scriptural foundation that it's scary.

I believe God will call them to account for the damage they are doing.
Character still matters.  It always matters.

I wear a mask as an exercise in liberty and love for others.  To see it as an infringement of liberty is to entirely miss the point.  Be kind.

"Sometimes I think the Church would be better off if we would call a moratorium on activity for about six weeks and just wait on God to see what He is waiting to do for us. That's what they did before Pentecost."   - A. W. Tozer

Use the time God is giving us to seek His will and feel His presence.

Offline truth_seeker

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No wonder many look at this as yet another outrageous example of "Christianity," and reject it.
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Offline NavyCanDo

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No wonder many look at this as yet another outrageous example of "Christianity," and reject it.

A popular Gospel song when I was a young Christian  in the 1970s was "We are One In The Spirit", which had a line in the chorus that said "They Will Know We Are Christians By Are Love".   Sad to see so many churches doing the opposite today.   The extreme is Westboro, but there are many others that are just a watered down version of the same intolerable hate.    I see them here in WA at nearly every large gathering of people. I was walking with my son's Cub Scout pack in a parade, and on one corner was a group of them with large florescent signs with jaw dropping messages. One I remember said "Repent or Go To Hell". Yea thata get me to want to go to their church.     
« Last Edit: March 27, 2014, 02:43:40 am by NavyCanDo »
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