A Louisiana kindergartener who lost both her parents will endure more upheaval after being asked to leave her school due to the makeup of her adopted family.
Jennifer Parker and her wife Emily Parker took in Jennifer’s niece Zoey after the girl's father suffered an industrial accident two years ago. Their adoption of the five-year-old was finalized last week.
However, the news of Zoey’s newly-official family structure was not received well at the school where she attended pre-k, Bible Baptist Academy in DeQuincy, La.
“She lost her father, she lost her mother and now she’s losing her school which she loves very much,” Jennifer told WVUE. “We got called into the principal’s office for a meeting, they informed us that Zoey wouldn’t be able to go to school there anymore because of our lifestyle choices.”
“On the 3rd (of August), we adopted her and we went to open house.
We got the uniforms. We got the fees,” Emily told WVUE.
Then they were informed the weekend before Zoey’s first day of kindergarten that they were no longer welcome.
“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. “They didn’t think this was a good fit.”
In a statement released by the school, Bible Baptist Academy said the institution is “committed to instructing and living in accordance with the teachings of Scripture.”
“This should not be interpreted that we have any hatred or malice toward them. 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,” the statement continues.
As for Zoey’s schooling, Jennifer said they’ve received offers from other area Christian schools as well as an abundance of community support.
“It’s a blessing in disguise,” Jennifer Parker 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.”
You can read Bible Baptist Academy’s full statement, as published by WVUE, below:
At BBA, we are committed to instructing and living in accordance with the teachings of Scripture. 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. We strive to teach this to the students who attend. We encourage them to show love and compassion to everyone.
As a Baptist academy, we are also committed to provide an environment that is consistent with the beliefs that we hold. 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.
We live in wonderful country! We have been granted the freedom to worship as we see fit. And as a Christian institution, we are protected by federal laws that give us the opportunity to teach and practice our beliefs. We feel deeply that our first obligation is to God and being faithful to Him.
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. 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.
BBA is committed to academic excellence with rich Scriptural instruction.
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