Ohio Christian school tells student to skip prom

A student at a fundamentalist Baptist school that forbids dancing, rock music, hand-holding and kissing will be suspended if he takes his girlfriend to her public high school prom, his principal said.



The teen, who is scheduled to receive his diploma May 24, would be suspended from classes and receive an "incomplete" on remaining assignments, England said. Frost also would not be permitted to attend graduation but would get a diploma once he completes final exams. If Frost is involved with alcohol or sex at the prom, he will be expelled, England said.

Frost's stepfather Stephan Johnson said the school's rules should not apply outside the classroom.

"He deserves to wear that cap and gown," Johnson said.



England acknowledged signing the form but warned Frost there would be consequences if he attended the dance. England then took the issue to a school committee made up of church members, who decided to threaten Frost with suspension.




/sigh

I posted this because of the absurdity, of course, but the story still brings up so much frustration in me.

I can understand the principal... he's one man. One crazy man. There are plenty of crazy individuals, but then the kid takes it to a school board for some understanding and lenience. The school board could've disagreed with the child and that's fine. Just tell the kid that they side with the principal and leave it at that. But NO! Of course not. They had to take it one step further and threaten the kid with suspension making themselves (the board) even less approachable by everyone else who attends. You would think these kinds of tactics would cause a reaction in the parents who pay for this private school, but you're not going to hear a peep. For the majority of them, their religiosity (being the foundation of how they think about everything) is probably the reason why.

On another note, should private schools legally have the ability to reach outside of their own property to screw with people's lives? Even though it's a private school, the situation seems like it oversteps some legal privacy boundaries. How far can private schools go into your personal lives? How much should they be allowed to threaten you with? I could understand this not being so much of an issue if the child could just pack up and move on unaffected to another location. But there's no way this kid wouldn't be negatively affected by getting away and the school shouldn't be able to dangle this over his head to make him comply to whatever they want or don't want him to do.

I was kicked out of the public school system for committing a felony vandalism after school hours, while suspended from the school.

i totally see how that is like going to a prom.

at least now we know how bad ass you were back in the day. felony vandalism!

haha. Obviously they should. What if this school was a ivy league prep school and the 'event' that they got wind of, would make the whole school look bad? Like the kid was going to a Klan rally or something. It's a private school! If you don't won't to be screwed with, don't go to the school.

While I disagree with the policy in general, the child and his parents agreed to these parameters when they joined the school. If the father doesn't not think those boundaries go outside of school then what do they mean? Rock music is bad if you are listening to it in geometry, but OK if at home?

Hmmm

Kid will not graduate from the school if he goes to this other prom.
Implication: private schools are power crazy

I committed a crime and was thrown out of public school district
Implication: action of private school is a mirror of what happens in public school

Your conclusion:
You're trying to brag about being tough for committing a crime


Yea...you went to college to be a lawyer..all the thinking; none of the understanding.

balloon guy, sarcasm. sarcasm, balloon guy. at least on the tough guy part. I am not sure you know what a mirror is. I suppose there are felonies committed at some proms.

The tough guy part was the only part I agreed with

Well the only thing they can really threaten you with is not giving you the degree. And I don't see how we could ever really compel them to give out degrees which they don't want to give out.

The real problem in this story is if the kid did not have a choice to go to this school or another. The parents obviously sent him to this place knowing that it was run by a crazy cult who believes in walking dead people and ghosts with wings. They can't really complain. Sucks for the kid though.

I hear they are making a Footloose remake?

This is why I'm not sending my kids to private Baptist schools.

Also, about a billion other reasons.

this. /thread


also: It's important to note that Baptist is a general term and this group is a specific denomination in that general group. So when you hear "Baptist" don't just assume that person hates music and dancing.

I have a funny story about that, but I'll probably just keep it to myself. Just assume that it would make you hate Christians more than you already do.

there are very few christians whom I hate, and I'd like to hear the story...

wow. HAND-HOLDING. How...? I don't even know how to respond to this. This is essentially totalitarianism, scary.

Maybe later... but probably not.



No, it isn't. It's what they believe to be true and is totally fine and protected freedom of religion. If you don't like it, don't send your kid there.

I frigging hate christians, they are so tight-lipped!

I'm all about private schools doing their own thing. I guess I just never thought their "reach" should be allowed to go farther then the school boundaries. Of course, I know my wishes don't make reality so.

I did go to Anderson University (private Christian college) and they had everyone sign similar papers saying they won't drink a sip of alcohol, gamble a single dollar, etc. while you're a student at AU. The "promise" is supposed to apply to anywhere and I guess they can utilize the power to kick you out even if they catch you doing one of those things outside campus.

That never really happened, though. The only times those contracts came into play was, typically, when those actions were brought on to school grounds (ex. getting caught stumbling back to your dorm room drunk).

And for this high school to suspend him for going to prom, that would be like AU doing the same thing to me for playing a $5 home game poker tournament at a friend's house down the street from campus. They wouldn't dream of giving anyone the boot for that.

Who would want a diploma from that shithole school anyway? Bunchof ****ing hypocrites probably engage in bestiality and anal sex on a regular basis.

yep. This is a logical assumption.

Saying, "it's what they believe" doesnt make it any less totalitarian.

Religion is just the easiest way to justify oppression. While oppression may be strong for this scenario, it doesn't discredit the message.

Wrong.

They are saying, "This is how we want our students to represent us in public. Do you understand? Ok. Sign here. See you in the fall!" If you don't want to represent the schools ideals everywhere you go, while you are a student, then you don't have to go there.

They aren't forcing anyone to continue attending.

Very true.


That also makes me wonder what the contract actually said word for word. AU was very clear that everything stated applied to on AND off campus life.

Similar wording is often found in private school contracts... especially high end prep schools.

Well, his parents probably are. But that's a whole new bag of WORMS.