Posted on 05/16/2002 2:29:30 AM PDT by 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.
Jesus would tell the mom to stop stripping "Go and sin no more".
but that is what we're fighting against every day of our lives. Our public schools "tolerate" everything just to avoid controversy.
What the heck is wrong with controversy? Do we want to teach our kids that controversy is wrong? How 'bout doing the right thing? How 'bout the fact that this is a private school and this mom knew darn well what she was doing. Talk about being a hypocrite...she's the one that signed an agreement that she would uphold the school's values....and unless she is a complete moron, she could probably figure out that taking her clothes off for money just might not be one of those values.
Does she want Christian values taught to her child or not? Stick her in a public school.....then she can strip all she wants and no one will care. Instead...she put her child in a school that does care....and now she has a problem with that. What an idiot.
Yup, and she might earn more money in even fewer hours than that by becoming a prostitute. Your argument does not wash. The moral upbringing of a child is just as important. Most people do honest jobs that pay less because they want to set a good example for their kids and because they have morals themselves.
ITA, there is no one saying that the kid should be denied an education, just that there are rules that were agreed to and if you can't abide by them, you go. to public school. where the mom would be deified for her job.
If the school really wanted to help the child, they would keep the child in school but take the child from the mother. Is that what you want? The mother has chosen this path for her and her daughter and the daughter will have to live with her mother's choices.
If you are smart, you will never use the word "judgmental" again. You will only snare yourself in that trap.
Apparently, in your rush-to-hate-anything-Christian, you read right past the part where the pastor said they offered to let the little girl attend the school for free the last month, if the mother would give up the stripping.
When you read the WHOLE story, this looks more like a lawyer-assisted shakedown than a religious freedown story which is how the article's author hyped it in paragraph one.) Maybe this explains your blood-in-the-water reaction. LOL.
Boy, they hate it when you ask them WWJD....
BY GETTING BOUNCED WITH A MONTH TO GO. THERE IS NO REASON FOR THAT.
Not really. I would call that observant. With 4 weeks left in the School year to expel a 5 year old is "ham-handed, amateurish, and judgmental"
You let the Child finish, then handle it quietly, with some dignity accorded the flawed person...
Would Jesus not have a problem with a school calling instelf a 'Christian' school and proclaiming 'Christian' values, but then not upholding its 'Christian' standards.....for the sake of avoiding controversy?
Of course it's the child being hurt here....but it's the mother's selfishness that is doing it...not the school. The mother knew the rules....the mother broke the rules....have a problem with the mother...not the school.
maybe so she doesn't end up stripping? Just a guess....
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