Private colleges, especially religious ones are notorious for abusing their power. This has been brought into light in more recent days due to more open feelings toward the LGBTQ community, and an animosity toward Church/Religion having power. Religious private schools are allowed to kick LGBTQ students out of their school (meaning expulsion) and due to legalities between private schools and government no intervention can be made.

To see a clear example of this we need look no further than Karma Allen and Kelly McCarthy’s article on ABC news called “Christian school expels girl over rainbow shirt and birthday cake, family says.” This article entails how a girl named Kayla was expelled by her Christian school due to a photo of her wearing a ‘LGBTQ’ shirt and her birthday cake on her birthday, the shirt that she was wearing in no way specifically referenced the LGBTQ community and just had a rainbow on it. In the articles own words “Alford said she filed an appeal with the school, but it was denied.” This again shows how private schools abuse of power (often religious private schools) tend to lash out at the LGBTQ community.

This article not only shows the discrimination toward LGBTQ community but also shows the abuse of power used by private schools and how it is unjust and should be stopped. As the article shows no legal attempt can be made in order to attempt to combat the onslaught of anti-LGBTQ policy used by religious private schools.

An article that explains the legalities protecting these unjust acts is Julia Donheiser’s “Chalkbeat explains: When can private schools discriminate against students?” Her article explains why these schools can discriminate against students. This article tells us that Title IX of the Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination of basic sex in schools but some private schools the ones who don’t use federal funds are exempt from Title IX. It also tells us how under the trump administration the Title IX has been changed to “only bar discrimination based on a students biological sex.”

With all of this in mind it is very important to ask ourselves when the line should be drawn on how much an institution can discriminate. In an ever changing evolving world where people embrace acceptance, is it alright to let institutions that pose as roadblocks to acceptance and progression toward it to exist? Private schools are not to be allowed to stand as battered towers of old sexist/homophobic ideas and should be changed or gotten rid of as they pose a threat to the already under attack LGBTQ community.

Citations:

ABC News, ABC News Network, abcnews.go.com/US/christian-school-expels-girl-rainbow-shirt-birthday-cake/story?id=68274078.