Kansas Christian school responds to issue on expelling students because of gay family members

A Christian school in Kansas has reserved the right to expel a student if any member of their family is a transgender. This has sparked outrage, but the school said it is only so that parents know where they stand on this issue.

According to a post on Patheos, Trinity Academy, a private Christian school in Wichita, has a document called Statement of Understanding that students and parents are required to sign if they wish to enroll at the school. Primarily, it states that students' families need to be Christian, that they believe in the Bible, that Jesus is the only path to salvation, that smoking, drinking, and drugs are prohibited, that they are church-goers, and that sex outside of marriage is sin. There is, however, a final item that basically says that the school does not allow condoning or tolerating homosexuality.

"Given the debate and confusion in our society about marriage and human sexuality it is vital that Trinity families agree with and support the school's traditional, Christian understanding of those issues," the document reads. "Therefore, when the atmosphere or conduct within a particular home is counter to the school's understanding of a biblical lifestyle, including the practice or promotion of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) lifestyle or alternative identity, the school should have the right, in its sole discretion, to deny the admission of an applicant or discontinue enrollment of a current student."

In response to the growing controversy regarding this issue, the school said that the application process was designed in order to be certain that new families know who the school is and what the institution believes in. They maintain that they hold bibical views on sexuality and gay marriage, and it is the decision of parents if "they feel they can partner with Trinity and support these biblical Christian views."

"Trinity would not and has not denied admission to a student simply because they have a sibling who is gay," the school said in a statement given to KSN News. "Neither would we necessarily deny admission to a student with same sex attraction. We do not condone sexual activity of any kind for our students whether heterosexual or homosexual."