Louisiana school kicks out kindergartner for having lesbian parents
A Baptist academy in Louisiana told a married lesbian couple that their newly adopted daughter could not attend kindergarten at the school because of their “lifestyle choices.”
Emily and Jennie Parker learned on August 6 that they needed to find a new school for their five-year-old daughter, Zoey, because their marriage was at odds with the religious tenets of the Bible Baptist Academy in DeQuincy.
‘A big slap in the face’
Zoey Parker attended pre-kindergarten at the school last year.
In an interview with NBC News, the Parkers shared that they were told Zoey can no longer return to the academy for kindergarten during a meeting with a pastor and the school’s director.
The meeting took place only two days before school started.
Jennie Parker, 31, said they were told during the meeting: “Because of our lifestyle choices, we wouldn’t be a good fit for the school.”
Emily Parker, 28, said the pastor lectured them that marriage is only between a man and a woman.
Emily and Jennie have been married since 2016.
“We’ve never been confronted so bluntly about our relationship,” Emily added.
“Our love, our marriage, has always felt natural. Our families have always made us feel like we are two people who love each other. This was a big slap in the face,” she further shared.
Meet the Parkers
Emily Parker is Zoey’s biological aunt.
Zoey’s father died young in an industrial accident in 2020. Her mother is also no longer in her life- the reason is unclear- and she was officially adopted by Emily and Jennie on August 3.
It was only after the Parkers adopted Zoey that the Bible Baptist Academy said they were no longer interested.
Emily said they had gone to an open house at the school and even bought Zoey her uniforms, but the academy changed its tune just three days after the adoption.
“She lost her father, she lost her mother, and now she’s losing her school, which she loves very much,” Jennie said about their daughter.
Statement from the BBA
The Bible Baptist Academy could not be reached for immediate comment, but the school posted a statement on their website:
“As a Baptist academy, we are also committed to provide an environment that is consistent with the beliefs that we hold. We want our students to not only know our beliefs, but we want them to see them as well. Regarding personal relationships, we hold that those relationships, whether in dating or in marriage, should be between a man and a woman.”
“There are times where our commitment to upholding our Christian values will not line up with the values of other people. This should not be interpreted that we have any hatred or malice toward them,” the school also said in the statement.
Overwhelming support for the Parkers
In response to the school’s online statement, Emily Parker called out the Bible Baptist Academy on Facebook:
“You know what you just taught my daughter? How truly judgmental your church is. How unforgiving and unrelenting you are. I was angry, hurt, embarrassed but I am not anymore. Now, I am thankful. Thankful you will not mold my tiny human’s brain to be anything like you. I will teach my child to love EVERYONE just like you say your God is supposed to.”
The Parkers said they have received overwhelming support from the local and online communities since their story was shared on social media.
“There are good Christians out there. The whole community of DeQuincy has showed us what it is to be a good Christian and to not preach hate like this,” Jennie told NBC News, “They are the reason why we kept faith.”
“We feel so blessed to have an army at our side,” Emily wrote on Facebook.
In another post on August 10, Emily Parker also announced that Zoey will attend kindergarten at Hamilton Christian School in Lake Charles:
“My little girl will never find herself alone or without love. She is loved farther than comprehension could explain.”