A Louisiana kindergarten student was turned away from a religious school because her parents are a same-sex couple.
Emily and Jennie Parker told NBC affiliate KPLC that officials at the Bible Baptist Academy in DeQuincy, Louisiana, said the couple needed to find a new school for their daughter because their same-sex relationship did not follow the teachings of the school.
Monday was supposed to be Zoey Parker’s first day of kindergarten, but the parents were asked to attend a meeting at the school during the weekend.
"We got called into the principal's office for a meeting, they informed us that Zoey wouldn't be able to go to school there anymore because of our lifestyle choices," Jennifer Parker, 31, told KPLC.
Jennifer Parker and Emily Parker, who are in a same-sex marriage, adopted Zoe, Jennifer's 5-year-old niece, after the girl's father died in an industrial accident in 2020, The Guardian reported.
Zoey Parker, who attended Bible Baptist Academy for pre-K, was officially adopted by her aunt last week.
"She lost her father, she lost her mother and now she's losing her school which she loves very much," Jennifer Parker told KPLC.
The school's principal and pastor informed the couple of their decision during the weekend.
"On the 3rd [of August], we adopted her and we went to open house, we got the uniforms, we got the fees," Emily Parker said, KPLC reported.
"The pastor met us in the meeting room and started talking about gender identification and that they teach the words of the Lord and marriage was between a man and a woman. They didn't think this was a good fit."
Bible Baptist Academy issued a statement saying the school is "committed to instructing and living in accordance with the teachings of Scripture," KPLC reported.
"This should not be interpreted that we have any hatred or malice toward them," the school statement said. "We are just as committed to loving all people as we are to holding to Bible principles that people may not agree with or may not understand."
Jennifer Parker told the TV station that the family was grateful after receiving support from community, and added they had received offers from other Christian schools in the area for Zoey to attend.
"It's a blessing in disguise," Jennifer Parker said. "We have an opportunity to bring her to a school which is a little closer and it's a new opportunity for her to make new friends."
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