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Google PlayA kindergartner was reportedly removed from a school in Louisiana because of the so-called “lifestyle choices” of her adoptive parents Emily and Jennie Parker.
The Parkers were two days away from taking their 5-year-old daughter Zoey to her first day of kindergarten at the Bible Baptist Academy when they were informed in a meeting with the director and pastor that Zoey could no longer attend. She was a pre-K student at BBA last year.
“Because of our lifestyle choices, we wouldn’t be a good fit for the school,” Jennie recalled of their conversation in an interview with NBC News. Emily said the pastor mentioned how Bible Baptist Academy, a religious school, teaches its students that marriage can only be between a man and woman.
Zoey was adopted by Emily, her biological aunt, on Aug. 5 after the child’s father died at the age of 22 in what KPLC described as an “industrial accident” two years ago. “She lost her father, she lost her mother and now she’s losing her school which she loves very much,” Jennie told KPLC.
The school said it is “committed to instructing and living in accordance with the teachings of Scripture” in a statement in response to “recent events” on its website. “We believe that the Bible teaches that every life has value and that there is dignity in all of us because we have been created in the image of God. The Bible also teaches us to love everyone with the love of God despite their personal choices,” reads a portion of the statement. “We strive to teach this to the students who attend. … We want our students to not only know our beliefs, but we want them to see them as well. Regarding personal relationships, we hold that those relationships, whether in dating or in marriage, should be between a man and a woman. There are times where 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.”
Jennie Parker said her family has since received offers from other religious schools in the area. She considers this moment to be a “blessing in disguise” that will allow Zoey to go to a school closer to their home, and give her the opportunity to make new friends.
