Christian school says student was banned from graduation not for her pregnancy but for immorality

Heritage Academy, a Christian school in Hagerstown, Maryland, has clarified that the pregnant student who was banned from the school's graduation ceremony was not being punished because of her pregnancy but for "immoral" sexual behavior.

Maddi Runkles, an 18-year-old student at the academy, had served as the president of the Student Council and an officer in the Key Club at the school. But she was removed from her position and barred from attending her graduation ceremony after the school discovered that she was pregnant.

After her situation received media attention, the school received criticisms from pro-life advocates, who said that she should not be punished for her decision to choose life for her unborn baby.

On Tuesday, David R. Hobbs, the school's administrator, stated in a letter to the school community that Runkles was not being punished because of her pregnancy.

"Let me clarify some facts. Maddi is being disciplined, not because she's pregnant, but because she was immoral," said Hobbs, according to The Christian Post.

The school administrator noted that every student from 5th through 12th grade have signed a pledge to abstain from pre-marital sex, drugs and alcohol.

Runkles complained that while the other students have been caught breaking some of the school's rules, she was treated differently.

"We sign a student code at the beginning of each school year that we'll refrain from drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and pre-marital sex, stuff like that," she told Breitbart News. "And other kids at my school have been caught drunk, defacing public property, and other things like that, but they've never suffered a punishment as severe as mine," she added.

Hobbs stated in his letter that the school is "pleased that she has chosen to not abort her son. However, her immorality is the original choice she made that began this situation."

Runkles said that Hobbs initially wanted to announce to the entire school that she had broken her pledge to avoid premarital sex, but she decided to publicly confess her pregnancy to the school herself.

The student was told earlier that she has to finish her studies at home, but the school decided to let her attend classes after her parents, along with her classmates and other parents, appealed to Hobbs to let her remain in school.

Runkles is still not allowed to participate in the graduation ceremony, but she will still receive her high school diploma. She has expressed her plans to attend community college to earn a business degree. She noted that the father is involved in her pregnancy, but they have no plans to marry at this time.