A Christian School Expelled A Student After They Saw A Photo Of Her With A Rainbow Cake And Sweater
A high school student in Kentucky was expelled from her Christian school after school officials spotted a photo from her birthday party where she was wearing a rainbow sweater and smiling next to a rainbow birthday cake.
Kimberly Alford shared a photo of her 15-year-old daughter Kayla Kenney on Facebook, where it was later spotted by administrators at Whitefield Academy. Alford told NBC affiliate WAVE of Louisville that soon after she shared the photo, she got a letter from the Head of School at Whitefield Academy, where Kayla was a freshman.
“It was an email expelling Kayla from Whitefield immediately due to a post on social media,” Alford said. “I feel judged, she feels judged, just very devastating for us.” In the email, Dr. Bruce Jacobson said the picture was just one of many “lifestyle violations” committed by Kenney. The picture, the email said, “demonstrates a posture of morality and cultural acceptance contrary to that of Whitefield Academy’s beliefs.”
Jacobson also released a statement which read, in part:
Inaccurate media reports are circling stating that the student in question was expelled from our school solely for a social media post. In fact, she has unfortunately violated our student code of conduct numerous times over the past two years. In the fall, we met with the student to give her a final chance to begin to adhere to our code of conduct. Unfortunately, she did not live up to the agreement, and therefore, has been expelled.
It’s worth pointing out that, to many Christians, rainbows are a symbol of hope. However, rainbows have also long served as symbol for LGBTQ+ pride.
The school’s code of conduct mentions sexual orientation and says that, if a student’s behavior outside of school doesn’t line up with the school’s beliefs, a student can be disciplined. Alford said she doesn't know why the school seemed to assume her daughter had a rainbow cake had to do with "representation."
“She loves to laugh and dance and that’s just her,” Alford said. “There was nothing intended by that and even when I went back and got the receipt from the bakery, it didn’t say anything about representation, it just said assorted colors.”
Alford told NBC News that her daughter had been on probation for “disciplinary issues” which included cutting class and using an e-cigarette. She also said some students weren’t comfortable with her daughter’s “perceived sexuality” to the point where she was given the book Gay Girl, Good God (which was written by a woman who says God stopped her from being gay) by a school counselor and had to go over it weekly with the counselor.
Alford appealed the expulsion, and said the school agreed to change the expulsion to a voluntary withdrawal so it’s not on her daughter’s record. Still, she’s not exactly thrilled at what happened.
“You know we teach our kids what would Jesus do," Alford said. "What would he do here?” Kenney is now in public school, where she can presumably eat all the rainbow cake she wants.
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