Firestorm Continues to Envelop "Christian" School that Expelled Girl for Lack of Femininity

This blog previously noted the controversy surrounding Timberlake Christian School's expulsion of Sunnie Kahle, an 8-year-old tomboy (pictured at left), who the school intimated was gay because of her preferred hair style and clothing attire.  The expulsion letter listed numerous anti-gay Bible passages among other things.  Now, with the furor continuing, the school has recruited Liberty Counsel - a designated anti-gay hate group - to represent it in the controversy which is showing all too clearly the ugly face of conservative Christianity.  If the school doesn't want to look truly homophobic, one has to wonder what mental midget brought Liberty Counsel into the mix. Note how Liberty Counsel, which is obsessed with bathroom issues, has now said that parents had expressed "concerns regarding use of the restroom." The Roanoke Times is calling for the school to apologize and cease its batshitery.  Here are highlights:

Unless you were hiding under a rock last week, you heard about the case of Sunnie Kahle, the 8-year-old tomboy who since preschool has attended Timberlake Christian Schools in Forest. The short-haired second-grader is now an international figure.

Sunnie was adopted by her great-grandparents, who wanted her to have a Christian education, so they enrolled her in Timberlake almost four years ago. Now, she’s not welcome to return there unless she changes her attire and acts more like a girl.  This was clearly outlined in a February letter from the school to the great-grandparents, Carroll and Doris Thompson.

In that, Principal Becky Bowman wrote: “We believe that unless Sunnie as well as her family clearly understand that God has made her female and her dress and behavior need to follow suit with her God-ordained identity, that TCS is not the best place for her future education.”

The letter also said: “We believe that our biblical role is to work in connection with the home to mold students to be Christlike. On those occasions in which the atmosphere or conduct within a particular home is counter to or in opposition to the biblical lifestyle that the school teaches, the school reserves the right, within its sole discretion, to refuse admission of an applicant or to discontinue enrollment of a student. This includes, but is not necessarily limited to, living in, condoning, or supporting sexual immorality, practicing homosexual lifestyle or alternative gender identity.”

The story last week on WSET (Channel 13) was picked up by national and international media outlets, and the media frenzy was on. And now Liberty Counsel, a Christian Legal Foundation affiliated with Liberty University, is representing the school.

Liberty Counsel issued a statement Wednesday denying the media reports, decrying the frenzy and refusing to identify the girl except for her initials. Here are some excerpts from that.

• “We are deeply dismayed over the inaccurate and public nature of this situation and the false and inaccurate reporting.”

• “When elementary children and their parents or guardians express concerns regarding use of the restroom and other matters arising from the sensitive issues here, the School has a duty to address those concerns and to ensure that all interests are heard and protected in accordance with the Christian mission of the School.”

The part about the bathrooms was new.

Quoting some unidentified parents at Timberlake, WDBJ reported that Sunnie had stated in school that she wanted a sex-change operation and that she wanted to use the boys’ bathroom. The Thompsons said those third-hand (at best) allegations are ridiculous.

Here are some observations:

First, it is no stretch at all to read the principal’s letter and conclude it implied sexual immorality “or the like” with regard to Sunnie. The Bible passages she hunted down and cited were about sodomites and burning lust and execution-worthy abominations. If that was not the intent, the school should say so and profusely apologize. So far they have not.

Second, the school should drop the malarkey about the “false” and “inaccurate” reporting until it’s prepared to say exactly what is false and inaccurate. Right now it’s hiding behind a pretense of privacy that neither Sunnie nor her legal guardians are requesting.

Third, if some unkind boys last fall tried to play a mean bathroom prank on Sunnie, the school could best address that with the boys and their parents — if they haven’t already. It smacks of un-Christlike bullying.

Finally, the school principal ought to open up her Bible and ponder some other juicy bits.

 For crying out loud, we’re talking about an 8-year-old.

One can only hope that this ridiculous situation will make some parents open their eyes to the batshitery to which they are subjecting their children and cause them to withdraw them from the school.  The school needs to become a laughing stock and pariah among decent people.  

Lynchburg Area "Christian" School Expells 8 Year Old Girl for Being Perceived as Gay

When one heads southwestward in Virginia, once you pass Charlottesville, with the exception of Roanoke, much of the state is little better than "Deliverance" county.  Oh, it is scenically beautiful and all of that, but much of the population gives socially backwards and ignorant a new meaning.  Among this sea of backwardness is nestled Timberlake, Virginia, south of Lynchburg - is Lynchburg a world of batshitery in its own right since it is the home of Jerry Falwell's Liberty University - which is the home of Timberlake Christian School.  The school rightly finds itself the butt of news coverage across the country after 8 year old Sunnie Kahle (pictured above) was expelled for being perceived as being gay because she doesn't dress with the requisite amount of femininity.  Decent, moral people would be embarrassed to be affiliated with such a school, but since this region of Virginia is a Republican stronghold, ignorance and bigotry are worn like a badge of honor.  CBS12.com has coverage.  Here are details:

Sports, sneakers, and short hair; it's what makes 8-year-old Sunnie Kahle unique. It's also what had her removed from Timberlake Christian School. Her grandparents pulled the plug on her time there after they said she was no longer welcome.

The family received a letter telling them that if their eight year old granddaughter didn't follow the school's "biblical standards," that she'd be refused enrollment next year. She's out and in public school now.

Sunnie Kahle has short hair and a huge heart, and as far as her grandparents are concerned, she is a completely normal little girl.

"She cries every morning to get on the bus, she cries when she comes home because she wants to go back to Timberlake Christian with her friends," said Doris Thompson.

Doris and Carroll Thompson are Sunnie's grandparents. They adopted and raised the little girl and took her out of Timberlake Christian School when they received a letter from the school's K-8 Principal.

"You're probably aware that Timberlake Christian School is a religious, Bible believing institution providing education in a distinctly Christian environment," read Doris from a part of the letter.

The letter goes on to say that students have been confused about whether Sunnie is a boy or girl and specifies that administrators can refuse enrollment for condoning sexual immorality, practicing a homosexual lifestyle or alternative gender identity.

The letter goes on to reference specific Bible verses that affirm these beliefs.  The letter reads in part, "We believe that unless Sunnie as well as her family clearly understand that God has made her female and her dress and behavior need to follow suit with her God-ordained identity, that TCS is not the best place for her future education."

An administrator from Timberlake Christian, said the problem with Sunnie goes "far beyond her hair length" and that the little girl is a good student, but that "things disturbed the classroom environment."

Not surprisingly, the school is affiliated with Timberlake Baptist Church and appears to have ties to Liberty University as well. If one wants to know why Southwest Virginia is stagnating and cannot attract new businesses, look no farther than Timberlake Christian School.