Kindergartener's stripper-mom in church-school flap

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.

Actually, the churches I've been in would go the extra mile to help this woman if she were willing to forego her lifestyle.

Wow, good for you. You seem to have some aspects of a charmed life! I, unfortunately, have had a very different experience. Most churches I've encountered are unwilling to help even victims of domestic violence, let alone men and women who have created their own problems. And let's be honest, this is exactly what happens with the sex industry. It's a problem these people bring on themeselves.

But of course, that doesn't mean they don't need, and aren't deserving of, help.

Yes, Jesus would have told the mother to "go and sin no more". But He also wouldn't punish the child for the sins of the mother.

I could argue either side for what this school decided to do. But we are raised by a family and in a society. I think it is unrealistic to assume that a child will be unaffected by the sins of a parent. All of us have been affected one way or another by our parent's sins. How could it be otherwise? This mother has been granted a God-given responsibility to raise this child. She does not have a right to squander it and expect the rest of the world to protect her child from her choices. Still, I can see both sides from the school's point of view.

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

Neither choice is "moral". Furthermore, the question is irrelevant since there are numerous other choices besides "working as a stripper or going on welfare".

But....You left one thing out.

The Child.

The child is implicitly hostage/supportive to the woman's conduct. Would you let a terrorist live in the US simply because the child over which it has control need an American education? I don't think so.

No charmed life, but I do choose churches carefully! For the most part, I've been a member of PCA--Presbyterian Church of America. I've found them to be realistic concerning people and their inherent sinful nature, yet humble as to their own sinfulness and willingness, therefore, to help others. My one church turned over to police one of its own teachers for fondling a student, then stuck by him for years while he, and the victim, received counseling. Now, they are both back at the church because of how well it was handled. Those churches are out there. Lots of them.

We have a friend who's a single mom and who put herself through nursing school stripping. We didn't find out until very near the end of her schooling. We were horrified and offered her money to help her stop. She refused, saying she didn't need charity and besides, most of the other strippers had gotten together to provide and share babysitting duties and she didn't feel she could abandon them. She escaped the alcohol and drug abuse that's rife in the sex industry, but she has many sad stories to tell of others who weren't so fortunate.

All in all, stripping is far from ideal employment, but sometimes life hands us tough choices.

She does not have a right to squander it and expect the rest of the world to protect her child from her choices</I<

Good point. Assuming the school should accept the child, who is going to enjoy the jurisdiction that will enforce such conduct? Does the government or some other "neutral" organisation has the right to impose on the school and the parent/child a resolution? I do not think that this dispute is a good enough reason to get the government involved lest it starts legislating and treading on grounds on which it has no rights.

Not to mention comparing stripping to terrorism, is hardly a sound analogy.

Should the School be able to exclude, by virtue of the parents occupation, children of Criminal Defense attorneys?

Neither choice is "moral".

Bottom line. Sometime there are no good solutions or no solutions at all. People have to grow up and realize that just as there are unsolvable differential equations, there are unsolvable problems in life. In this case the school would have to have its ways by default of school's maintenance of governance on its grounds.

But....You left one thing out.
The Child.

The school made attempts to accommodate the child. However, for the child to attend the school, the mother must abide by the agreement she signed. It is the mother, not the school, who is "harming" the child.

The cleaning wo/men I know make pretty good money here; more than I do, actually, and I've been here 24 years! Cleaning women (and men) make over $12 an hour doing private cleaning jobs in homes, and probably more than that in post offices and other businesses. So, don't put down cleaning jobs. They can be very good sources of money.

She escaped the alcohol and drug abuse that's rife in the sex industry, but she has many sad stories to tell of others who weren't so fortunate.

That's what's the big mistake of the woman with the kindergardner. She is pursuing a very hazardous profession, when she is the sole-supporter of her young child. Not much difference between her and a 3rd world chemical plant worker, coming home covered with toxins that the young child, day after day, is exposed to.

Or to you hold to that silly Clinton-era "compartmentalization" theory. Hope not, some things just do not compartmentalize well.

Not to mention comparing stripping to terrorism, is hardly a sound analogy.

Not true in this case of jurisdiction as opposed to a case of definition to which you refer. Terrorists are not allowed on US soil as per constitutional interpretations against the sharing of jurisdiction with jurisdictional invaders. If per the school's interpretation of its constitution it cannot allow a child of a stripper on its grounds for the same reasons, then the school has every right to wage its own standards.

Should the School be able to exclude, by virtue of the parents occupation, children of Criminal Defense attorneys?

Of course! The school can protect its own cults and private views any which way it sees fit. Should we force black people to hire baby sitters that belong to the KKK? I hope not! Lawyers? They're even worse than the KKK.

Of course, she probably has no skills at all.

Why would you assume that she has no skills other than exotic dancing? When I was in law school many years ago, I had a dear friend who was putting herself through medical school as a part-time stripper. She made enough money stripping three nights a week (about 12 hours of actual work) to pay her tuition and living expenses with enough left over to take me out to dinner a couple times a month, while leaving herself plenty of time to go to classes and study. The regular exercise also kept her in excellent shape.

Nevetheless, the private school in this particular case is free to set any rule it wants with regard to admission and retention of students, subject to the parents' right to sue for breach of contract. In this particular case, the "committment agreement" between the school and the parent is so ambigiuous and open to subjective interpretation, that it is probably not worth the paper that it is written on.

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