Christian school can expel lesbian students

[sjbouza]

Christian school can expel lesbian students (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090128/ap_on_re_us/students_expelled)

RIVERSIDE, Calif. – A California appeals court has ruled that a Christian high school can expel students because of an alleged lesbian relationship.

The 4th District Court of Appeal in Riverside on Monday upheld California Lutheran High School's right as a private, religious organization to exclude students based on sexual orientation.

Two girls sued claiming they were discriminated against after they were expelled from the Wildomar school in 2005. A lower court said the school isn't bound by the same anti-discrimination laws as a business establishment.

John McKay, attorney for California Lutheran, says the school's goal is to educate based on Christian principles.

The attorney for the girls could not be immediately reached Tuesday.

There goes the argument from the right that SSM will force them to marry same sex couples or force them to recognize SSM in anyway. They have no leg to stand on now. That was their biggest argument. Now it has gone to the courts and they have said that they do not have to do it.

Just another in our win column.

Peace,
Scott

[originalgrissel]

Hmmm, I wonder if this school will be expelling any of the numerous students that are surely having sex out of wedlock, lying, disrespecting their parents, stealing, or committing daily sins that don't conform to "Christian principles"? I'm guessing no.

It sucks for these girls to be singled out, but sadly, since it's a private school that doesn't get tax payer dollars they can discriminate against anyone they want as long as it's for "religious reasons". The up side is that, as Scott said, this sets a precedent that contradicts the religious right's argument that their religious rights will get trampled on under the feet of gay marriage.

[RedneckDyke]

It is a private school so they have the right to kick out anybody they want. That is ok with me as long as they don't get any public money.

[sjbouza]

It is a private school so they have the right to kick out anybody they want. That is ok with me as long as they don't get any public money.

I agree with this statement. As long as an institution is a "private entity" and not receiving any funding from taxpayers, then I believe they have the right to accept or not accept anyone they want for any reason.

Just like the churches do today when it comes to marriage. They have every right to not marry a couple for whatever reason, or for no reason. The lies that are being told are so far fetched. I just cannot understand how people can believe them.

When I was trying to be straight, I got married. The first church that we went to refused to marry us because we were not members of that church. When we went to another church they would marry us but only if we went through their "marriage classes". We finally found a church that would marry us. So churches are already saying no to people and not marrying them for various reasons. I don't see tons of law suits being brought by these people against the churches. Even if someone did bring a suit does not mean that the courts would give it any merit. As in this case they would rule for the church, which I feel is the correct ruling.

If a private entity does not want to recognize gays for whatever reason, then that is fine. But once they start taking taxpayer money then they must follow the law.

Peace,
Scott

[Daniel]

Bad for the girls- but do they really want to go there now?- but good for gay rights - not that fundi's will stop using the 'they-will-force-us-to-accept them' line. They will keep using it. You can bet on that.

Conservatives get a lot of mileage out of seeing themselves as the victim. Let them. They will only make the movable middle see things for what they really are.

[Alecto]

1)The most disturbing part of all this is that they can be kicked out for "behavior consistent with lesbianism". Witch hunt anyone? Like, self-identified lesbians, I wouldn't really bat an eye.

2)As for public funds, I know a lot of schools DO recieve some money for textbooks etc. They're not "publicly funded" as such, but they do recieve some public funds. Which is to say, I don't honesty think there's anything that's ever going to change about it, but I will personally never be fully comfortable with schools that choose to discriminate.

[tymejumper]

Yes they have the right to kick out anyone they choose. It happened up here also, but because of religion. A woman was hired into a Christian Reformed College, as a professor but was not Chrisitain Reformed. When they found out, after they hired her, they wanted her to switch religions, I think she was Hindu or something like that. She refused to change it and also her family refused so they fired her. It was a few years ago and the court upheld it because they were a privately and church funded college.

Reguarding the lesbians, I want to know if the church that supports the school that did this, do they have any type of federal dispensation or tax status because they are a church? If that is the case, they should have to abide by federal laws and regulations as much as public schools don't ya think?