An Atlanta-area Christian school expelled a high school senior 12 days before graduation because she brought a transgender date to prom.
Fox5 Atlanta broke the story May 19 in an interview with the student, Emily Wright, and her mother, Tricia Wright. The news station said school officials did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
North Cobb Christian School, founded in 1983, advertises itself as a school that “feels like home.” Among its five core values are “love for God, neighbor and self,” and “respect for people, property and ideas.”
The website proclaims: North Cobb Christian School strives to intentionally reflect the biblical mandate to love our neighbor as ourselves, fostering a culture of hospitality and belonging. We strive to deepen our understanding, respect and love for others, while assessing and improving our programs and experiences, resulting in a beautifully diverse, biblically grounded community that is unified, enriched and unhindered as we impact the world for Christ.”
Emily Wright (left) with her mother, Tricia Wright. (Screencap from Fox5 Atlanta)
Yet that love for others does not extend to transgender teenagers, according to Emily Wright. Prom was held off-campus, and the senior girl invited a friend who is not a student there, which was allowed, and for which her mother signed a permission form.
The only limitation on the form was related to the age of the guest, her mother told Fox5.
But 10 days after prom, Emily was called to the principal’s office.
“I was asked, ‘Is there anything we should know about the guest you brought to prom?’ And I knew exactly what they were talking about, so I said, ‘Yes, he’s transgender,'” she explained.
Tricia Wright picks up the story: “I got a call from the principal who said, ‘Ms. Wright, I’ve been informed that Emily brought a transgender guest to prom. Were you aware of that?’ I said yes. She said, ‘Well, I’m sorry, Ms. Wright, we’re going to have to expel Emily.'”
Emily Wright now believes her future is in jeopardy. “Where am I going to go to school? Where am I going to graduate?'” she asked.
The head of school is Todd Clingman, a graduate of Liberty University and Florida Atlantic University. He previously served as head of school at McKinney Christian Academy in McKinney, Texas, and as high school principal and acting administrator of Prestonwood Christian Academy in Plano, Texas.
North Cobb Christian School is among hundreds of private schools nationwide founded by or run by conservative evangelical Christians as alternatives to public schools, which they often consider too liberal or “woke.” The presence of these schools has come into public conversation again as many Republican-led states seek to pass school voucher bills to provide taxpayer funding to private sectarian schools.
Currently students from eight underperforming public schools in Cobb County are eligible to receive state funding of up to $6,500 per year to attend private schools including North Cobb Christian School.
Fox5 reported: “The Wrights understand that North Cobb Christian School, as a private Christian institution, may have values and rules different from public schools, but they say they believed that, because it is a Christian school, it would be more welcoming to everyone.”
But that’s not been their experience. What happened after prom is, instead, not a good example, Tricia Wright said, “to not be kind, not be loving, not be accepting, to be exclusive instead of inclusive.”