Georgia Christian high school defends expulsion of lesbian student

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According to an article published by the Washington Blade, a Christian high school in Georgia is defending its decision to expel a lesbian student. Christian Covenant Academy in Loganville, Georgia, is defending its action of expelling 15 year old Jessica Bradley after administrators learned of an alleged "lesbian kiss" between her and another girl. The alleged incident took place off campus and outside of an official school function, supposedly at a slumber party. Administrators also found out about an alleged sexual relationship between Bradley and another female student. Bradley was expelled for "committing the major offense of sexual immorality." Bradley and her father, Ron Bradley, filed a lawsuit against the school on December 2. The lawsuit, filed in Gwinnett Superior Court, seeks $1 million in unspecified damages. According to the article:

[Covenant Christian Academy (CCA)] states in court records it is protected by the First Amendment and "ecclesiastical abstention" that prohibits courts from forcing a religious organization to define its beliefs. "The free exercise and establishment clauses of the first amendment to the U.S. Constitution, consistent with the Georgia constitution and other applicable law of this state, require ecclesiastical abstention and prohibit this court from inquiring into plaintiff’s claims concerning a religious organization’s doctrinal determinations governing the discipline of its students for sexual immorality in violation of the Biblical/Christian lifestyle expectations for students attending faith-based CCA," CCA stated in its response. "The school is saying that it has the constitutional right to ban gays," said David Clark, attorney for the Bradleys.

===== Seems like we have a very sticky situation here. On one hand we have the school's Constitutional right to freedom of association and free speech, but on the other we have the rights of Bradley... to live a life free from fear, prejudice and discrimination (you know... part of America's most basic freedoms: "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness"). I don't really know where I stand on the issue because we have different Constitutional and human rights issues contradicting each other here, at least in my opinion. I guess we will just have to wait and watch this unfold in the courts. Technorati Tags: gay youth, gay, lgbt, gay rights, georgia, loganville, jessica bradley, lesbian kiss, expulsion, covenant christian academy