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.
Baloney, the mother signed on to the precepts of the school, the fact that she is a stripper is contradictory to the values set by the school. Being a stripper can never be right for the child. If the Mother does not quit being a stripper the school has the right to remove the child bec SHE undermines what the school is trying to teach the child.
Its the same as if I joined a church but decided to be a drunkard and was unrepentant. The church has every right to throw me out.
My, you have quite the imagination there Appy
It's funny, you mention Freedom, yet you actively defend Pastor Busy Body and crew for attempting to deny the Freedom of this Woman to actively support her child.
Gee, you Authoritarians will not be happy as long as us heathens haven't been Relaxed properly...
Reminds me of a local Mennonite church that excommunicated one of it's members because a fellow member of the congregation saw him at the Pizza Hut, drinking a beer with his pizza. True story.
I'm not claiming to be a biblical authority, numbnuts, and if you if you care to read any of my posts on this thread, you'll find that I came down on the school's side of the issue. You're so g-damn eager to smite me you didn't read a word I wrote. Nice christian attitude, buddy.
"Thou shalt not cutteth thy hair in ridiculous formations, for they are excessively whackie and may cause much unwanted and untoward mirth and amusement. Nor shall thou pierceth thy schnozz, or thy nipples, or the evil nether regions of a woman, or getteth the dreaded "Prince Albert," for verily I say to you these are the sins of rebellion and are quite odius indeed."
I smell a setup. I wonder how they found out and if she had something to do with their finding out about it.
There's a Christian school in town that has rules about student conduct outside of school that will invite suspension. They also have a suggestion in their rule book that parents should please dress modestly when they pick up their children from school, but it doesn't stop a few mothers who go to pick up their children in t-shirts over bikinis or real short shorts.(this is in Florida). The worse part is that I see the little girls of those few mothers and the little girls have embarrassed, pained expressions when their mothers pick them up dressed like that (at that age, don't tell me the little girls have been brainwashed by the Christian school, modesty IS natural for children after potty training age.) Maybe the exotic dancer dressed like one after hours too.
The frumpy hausfraus theory doesn't wash either. Often the modestly dressed are much better looking and sexier looking than the skimpy dressers (perhaps the skimpy dressing is a sign of insecurity?)
This thread got off track a couple of hundred posts ago.
You think that children love the money when their parents are strippers, x-rated movie actors, pimps and prostitutes? That's why Dr. Laura has an audience and you don't.
LOL.... you make my point. In the same phrase you admit you're not a "biblical authority"... yet you are ready to define "christian attitude".
I think the mom should be using the opportunity to go to college, or get some sort of training so that she can change jobs before the child is old enough to comprehend.
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