Kindergartener's stripper-mom in church-school flap

WorldNetDaily.com ^ | Thursday, May 16, 2002

[JohnHuang2]

A private Christian school and a kindergartener's mother who stripteases for a living are quickly becoming the focus of the latest debate on religious freedom.

Officials of Capital Christian School in Sacramento, Calif., discovered that what they thought had been a private meeting with a mother of a kindergartner who violated her commitment to school policy had become a news story on the local CBS affiliate KOVR.

The story first came to the attention of WorldNetDaily when WND columnist Rebecca Hagelin was invited Wednesday morning to discuss the issue on CNN's popular afternoon talk show "Talk Back Live." The only information circulating at the time was a brief description of a broadcast report filed by KOVR-TV which broke the story late Tuesday evening.

The summary blurb summed up the story this way: "A mother says her daughter is getting expelled from kindergarten because mom is a part-time stripper. This is about a five-year-old girl who attends Capital Christian School in Sacramento. But her mother says when the school found out she was an exotic dancer they told her she had one week to get her daughter out of their school."

Since the school's position was entirely absent from the report, Hagelin contacted the pastor of Capital Christian Church, the sponsoring church of the school. Senior Pastor Rick Cole was clearly disturbed by the events and reluctant to discuss details. Cole did, however, agree to provide certain facts about the case that had not been disclosed by the mother when she contacted the local television station about the situation.

Although Cole did not reveal the identity of the mother or child, WND subsequently learned their identities from KOVR-TV reporter George Franco, but has opted not to disclose the names to protect the child's privacy.

Hagelin reported the other side of the story during her appearance on CNN yesterday.

"By air time Wednesday afternoon, I had secured two interviews with pastor Cole from my car phone," she said. "His greatest concern and reluctance to speak came from his desire to protect the mother and her daughter." Given that only part of the story had become national news, she added, Cole thought it important provide the rest of the story.

Cole explained that recently school officials had become aware that the mother in question works as a part-time strip-teaser dancer at a local club. Since her occupation is in violation of an agreement with and commitment to the school philosophy that parents must sign before the children are admitted to school, school officials, including Cole met the mother.

Not wanting to divulge the personal and confidential details of the conversation with the mother, Cole only briefly outlined the details of the offer officials had made the mother -- which had been left out of previous news stories.

"The school offered to waive the last month's tuition for the student so the young girl could remain in school to the end of the year if the mother would quit her job as a strip-tease dancer. They also offered to support the mother and walk 'hand in hand' with her as she worked through the spiritual issues involved and sought to better her life," said Hagelin. "The pastor believed that the meeting had been well-received by the mother, but the next thing he knew he was getting calls from the local media. I found Pastor Cole to be clearly upset that his efforts to help a woman in a very bad situation were not successful."

As a requirement for admission, parents of prospective students must sign a "commitment" to support the philosophy of the school. That philosophy, in part, reads: "Emphasis is placed on learning about God and the truths of God's Word in relationship to man and his world; recognizing that the way to God comes through personal faith in Jesus Christ; and Christian maturity comes by application of the truths of the Bible in all areas of life." In signing the document, parents agree to maintain a "partnership" with the school "regarding the standards and criteria of a Christian learning structure that involves the entire family."

"Although school officials see the mother's job as a stripper as a clear violation of her signed commitment, automatic termination of the relationship was not an option for them," said Hagelin. "The pastor and school attempted to help the mother better her life, and offered her both financial, spiritual and emotional support."

In Hagelin's interview with the pastor, he described how the role of the school differed somewhat from that of the church. While the church has open arms to all who wish to attend, he discussed how essential parental commitment is to the success of a school of 1,200 students that seeks to provide both high academic and spiritual standards for each and every student, noted Hagelin.

Reporter George Franco of KOVR told Hagelin that the mother has retained legal counsel and is considering filing a motion for an immediate injunction to have the child remain in school while the mother continues to work as a stripper.

[luckystarmom]

I personally think they should keep the child in the school. My son goes to a private Christian school, and I would support a child with a parent doing the same thing going to his school.

If the child is having problems, then that is another thing.

By keeping the child in the school, they assure that the child gets Christian teachings.

[ZinGirl]

Skyyyyyyyrockets in Flight.......

great....NOW guess what I found myself humming whilst I was loading up the dishwasher....QUICK...give me a Buffett tune!!!

[Hemingway's Ghost]

Music in Hell? Three words: Skyyyyyyyrockets in Flight.......

Havin' my baby . . . what a wonderful way to something something something SOMEthing . . .

[Hemingway's Ghost]

MO-tard! What on earth is that? Take pity on me, I'm from Massachusetts.

[xsmommy]

When a child lives with just one parent, that parent has an extra responsbility to live a morally exempliary life. A very special, close relationship often exists between single moms and their children, particularly if they only have one. This is a choice that mother is making and she is the one taking steps to ruin her child's life. So what if she took a job that meant she couldn't go around hiring lawyers? Her daughter deserves a lot better and isn't getting it.

I admire what you did for your child. you are in a much better position than i am to speak to this, as i have never experienced it. but i can tell you i would not strip to support my child. it is never necessary, it may be a CHOICE but not necessary.

[ZinGirl]

but I think the point about the signing of the agreement by the mother was that the Christian values would be carried out at home...as well as at the school. It was an agreement...a contract. What if the school failed to keep up their end of the bargain? she would have a problem with that, right?

[Marysecretary]

Your bias is once again showing OPH. It seems to me they gave her every chance to stop living that kind of life, to improve her situation. She chose not to. That's HER problem, not anyone else's. SHE chooses to be a stripper. Some example for her child, huh? So why blame the school officials? They tried to help. THAT is their Christian witness. People like you can't see that. You always bash everything that "looks" unchristian without knowing all the facts.

[Hemingway's Ghost]

But then, stripping is preferrable to starvation or going on welfare.

An interesting question, and one I pose to all: which is the more moral choice---working as a stripper, or going on Welfare?

[ZinGirl]

"Closer My Wand To Thee."

you are bad....so bad...and I can see where this thread could lead to...

[luckystarmom]

I think Jesus would say keep the child in school, and pray and work with the mother.

[SCalGal]

You know, I went through college with a woman who was a stripper. We both had young children, and were both taking business courses.

She worked a few hours several nights a week. I worked between 40 and 50 hours during the week, and on Saturday.

I've always envied her the time she had with her child.

[flyervet]

I was a single parent for 12 years and for much of that time, we did live in virtual poverty. However, my church helped and even chipped in so that my daughter could go to Christian school for awhile.

Good for you. Imagine how much more difficult it would have been had you not had the support of your church. Now remember that this woman does not.

Now consider the fact that this woman had made some poor choices in her life that have created for her extremely difficult obstacles.

Now consider how many churches would be willing to assist a single mother who works in the sex industry

I'm not making excuses for this woman. She has made some lousy, foolish choices and got herself stuck in a crack. She makes a good living as a stripper, but it is really hard, if not impossible, to leave that life behind without a lot of help and support. But I do think that instead of sitting in judgement we should acknowledge the realities of those obstacles.

[twigs]

I've known parents to work their day jobs and then work as school janitors at night for free tuition for their kids at Christian schools.

One of my daughter's teachers in Christian school moonlights as the school janitor so that he can send his five daughters through college. His brother works in the area public schools and makes three TIMES as much as he does. A lot of people make these sacrifices!

[xsmommy]

no one is saying that this woman can't have a very warm, loving, close relationship with her child. i just find it incongruous that she is so vehement that her child have a CHRISTIAN education, that she must fund with a job stripping.

[xsmommy]

as do all the Catholic school teachers in my kids school, who forego the higherpaying jobs of the public schools.

[ZinGirl]

We nearly shot him

I admire your restraint....I don't know if I could have stopped myself. (patience is not my strong point these days...I need to go buy a new vacuum today as I literally threw our current one out the back door, over the porch railing, yesterday....I had HAD it with those darn bags that never fit right...hubby was impressed with the distance I got on the vacuum)