A few weeks ago, 15-year-old Kayla Kenney celebrated her birthday at Texas Roadhouse. Kayla is seen smiling behind a cake with rainbow-colored frosting. She also is wearing a sweater with a rainbow across the front. Rainbow colors are often associated with support for LGBTQ rights. Kimberly Alford says her daughter is not gay and the cake was not intended to make a statement. Alford received an email last week from Bruce Jacobson, the head of the school. It reads: “The WA Administration has been made aware of a recent picture, posted on social media, which demonstrates a posture of morality and cultural acceptance contrary to that of Whitefield Academy’s beliefs,” Jacobson says in the email. Jacobson also says Kayla has violated the school’s code of conduct “numerous times” by being caught with an E-cigarette and did get in trouble for cutting out of school during lunch.
1. Do you believe that Kayla should be expelled? Why or why not?
I believe that she should be expelled because she violated the code of conduct twice before this incident. But, I think its unfair that even though her mom said that the cake and shirt weren't intended to make a statement, she still got expelled.
2. What would you do if you were in this situation?
I don't really know what I would do, but I see where the school is coming from because of their beliefs. I think I would just go to another school.
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Replies
Good story choice and well done Megan!
I think that expelling her over a few mostly minor violations is pretty bad. If she was expelled in a public school for the same reasons, there might be an outcry around it except for the vaping part. It's pretty paranoid to expel someone for having rainbow stuff. Doesn't the bible mention rainbows at some point in other contexts? It's pretty messed up that some people still think lgbtq+ people go to that one place just for existing or protesting at funerals for similar reasons.
I also think that schools should be teaching objective facts without religious teachings, but that's unrelated.
I agree with your point, Amelia. If she was expelled in a public school for the same reasons, there might be an outcry around it except for the vaping part. I also agree that it's very paranoid to expell someone for wearing a rainbow shirt and eating a rainbow cake.
I don't think she should have been expelled. She is out of school and the school cannot do anything about her life. They don't have any power over her besides behind school doors. This is a violation of her human rights. She wouldn't get in trouble with the school for getting a speeding ticket so I think they need to stay out of her personal life.
I agree with you, Mason. She is out of school and isn't at anything school-related. It's a great point to bring up that she wouldn't get in trouble with the school for getting a speeding ticket, because it's not the schools business. This is a definitely a violation of her human rights.
I don't think she should have gotten expelled, she should have maybe got a detention or something for using a E-cigarette and for skipping school but being expelled just for wearing rainbow color and having that colored cake is not right . If I was in this situation I would complain to the school about this because just because it is a christian school dosen't mean wearing colors like that should get you expelled
I totally agree with you! It would of definitely been more fitting for her to recieve a detention for using a E-cigarette and for skipping school. Being expelled just for wearing a rainbow colored sweatshirt and having a rainbow frosted cake is definitely not right.
I don't think she should have been expelled, of course she definitely violated conduct with the E-cigarette, but this is an incredibly homophobic reasoning and is awful for rights under religion, religion should be allowed as long as it doesn't harm people who just live their lives. I would be outraged and I'd do whatever I can to make sure people don't get thrown out of school for their (possible) sexual orientation.
I agree with your point. She definitely violated conduct with the E-cigarette, but this is an incredibly homophobic reasoning. I would also be mad, and try to do whatever I can to make sure people don't get thrown out of school for their sexual orientation.
I do not think that she should be expelled becuase she has a shirt and a cake with rainbow colors on them at a restaurant that has nothing to do with school, even if she has violated the dress code at school before this. If I was in this situation, I would just try and forget about it, and if that was too hard, I would probably move schools if it got out of hand.
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