School Says Girl Expelled For More Than Kiss

LAWRENCEVILLE, GEORGIA - The attorney for a private Christian school says a same-sex kiss was not the only reason the school asked a ninth-grade girl to leave.
Jessica Bradley and her father filed a lawsuit against Covenant Christian Academy claiming the school invaded her privacy by expelling her for kissing another girl off campus.
But Matthew Moffett, the school's lawyer, said Bradley also admitted to having a sexual relationship with a female student, which violated school rules. And Moffett said school officials would have done the same thing if Bradley had had a sexual relationship with a boy.
"The issue here is that it was sexual immorality, not that it was a same-sex relationship," Moffett said. "This is a private school making a decision on how they want to run their institution. There are no grounds for a lawsuit."
Moffett also said the school did not expel Bradley, but asked her to withdraw. The other female student involved in the relationship was also asked to withdraw from the school.
School administrators cited the school handbook when disciplining Bradley. The handbook states that "any behavior, on campus or away, which indicates that a student has disregard for the spirit of the school standards, would be sufficient reason to ask for him/her to withdraw from Covenant Christian Academy."
But David Clark, the Bradleys' attorney, said the guidelines are too vague, are unenforceable and do not specifically talk about same-sex relationships.
"I wonder how many kids have been expelled from the school for straight relationships," Clark said. "But that is not the point. This is not a discrimination suit. This is about a vague school policy that is based on the term 'immorality' that was never defined."
In the lawsuit, which was filed last month in Gwinnett County Superior Court, Bradley claims invasion of privacy and breach of contract. The Bradleys are seeking at least $1 million in damages, including reimbursement for her tuition.
According to the lawsuit, Bradley says she attended an off-campus sleepover party with several other female students on April 22. At the party, she kissed another student and at an earlier date had kissed a different female student.
Four days after the party, Bradley and several other girls were called into the principal's office. After being questioned for more than an hour, Bradley, who had a 3.5 grade-point average at the school, was expelled, according to the lawsuit.
Moffett said that during the interview, Bradley admitted to having a sexual relationship with another female student.
Bradley and her father have since moved to Pennsylvania, where she is attending school, Clark said.
from Access North Georgia

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