Jennifer and Emily Parker were recently informed their adopted child Zoey could no longer attend the Bible Baptist Academy during a meeting with the principal. The blow came just a week before she was set to attend after finishing pre-kindergarten.
The Louisiana couple adopted their five-year-old niece on 3 August after she lost both her parents, according to Jennifer in an interview with KPLC.
“She lost her father, she lost her mother, and now she’s losing her school which she loves very much,” she said.
According to the couple, they had finished preparations for her first day at kindergarten but were informed after the fact that school officials thought the circumstances were not “a good fit”.
“The pastor met us in the meeting room and started talking about gender identification and that they teach the words of the Lord, and marriage was between a man and a women,” Emily Parker said.
‘We are protected by federal laws’
In a statement, the school told reporters that it was “committed to instructing and living in accordance” with the teachings of the Bible and is committed to teaching students that marriage is between a man and a woman.
“We have been granted the freedom to worship as we see fit,” a spokesperson for the Bible Baptist Academy said in a statement. “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 our commitment to upholding our Christian values will not line up with the values of other people,” they continued. “We are just as committed to loving all people as we are to holding to Bible principles that people may not agree with or may not understand.”
Despite the setbacks from the situation, the couple has said that they are grateful for the overwhelming support they’ve received in the aftermath, including offers from other Christian schools in the area.
“It’s a blessing in disguise,” Jennifer said. “We have an opportunity to bring her to a school which is a little closer and it’s a new opportunity for her to make new friends.”
Louisiana’s failed ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill
A few months ago, the Louisiana House Education Committee reinforced their acceptance of LGBTQ+ education in schools after striking down a copycat of Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill – which aims to ban discussion of LGBTQ+ topics in schools – in a seven to four vote on 3 May.
Republican representative and sponsor of the bill Dodie Horton told reporters that the move was in response to “some teachers” interjecting “their own lifestyle choices into the classroom”.
“[The bill] defines the line that has recently been blurred by some teachers to share their personal sexual identity and gender preferences with our children.”
After the bill was defeated, groups including the New Orleans Democratic Socialists of America celebrated by saying: “Kids and teachers across our state are free to be their whole selves, without shame… We are stronger together, always.”