An Ohio Christian school kicked out two of its students, citing their mother's alleged promiscuity as the cause.
The Beacon Journal reports mom Summer Grant is speaking out after two of her daughters were banned from continuing their studies at Chapel Hill Christian School Friday. The ban comes 30 days before the end of the school year.
Grant says that the Akron school's administrator, Pastor John Wilson, claims the reason was mostly due to her having committed "adultery." The young mother, who has never been married, has two daughters by two different men and says Wilson cited this as the cause for his concerns.
The two students in question are Summara-Rayn, a 10-year-old in the fourth grade, and Summaia, a 7-year-old in the second grade. The two girls are high-performance students who are regularly recognized for their academic achievements. Grant also says that her daughters have had little to no behavioral issues at school. They have attended the school for some time, but recently transferred to the Cuyahoga Falls campus, which is where the incident unraveled over time.
Grant told the publication that harassment about her personal life began over a year ago when her youngest daughter started the first grade at the institution.
Wilson reportedly would ask the 30-year-old about her relationships and even inquired from the children about with whom they lived. Grant says his questions became more frequent until one day he flatly stated his concerns.
Citing an issue with both young girls' scholarships last July, Wilson sat down in a one-on-one with Grant and allegedly proceeded to agonize her about when she would be marrying Summaia's father, the youngest of her children.
"It wasn't about whether they had their scholarship in place," Grant said teary-eyed. "It was more or less about me just not living right. … It was an uncomfortable conversation, but I sat through it because I really wanted my children to go to the school."
The issue let up until last week when the eldest daughter had a communication issue with her bus driver. On Wednesday, the driver told authorities he called Summara-Rayn's name, and she did not respond. The student later said she didn't hear him calling her because she was in conversation with a friend. The following day, Grant approached the man about the dispute, which spiraled into police being called to de-escalate the situation.
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The very next day, Grant received a phone call from Wilson who informed her that she and her children were no longer welcomed at the Christian school. The publication notes that the mother has the conversation recorded.
"He said the bus incident just shed a light on many problems that we have with you,” Grant recalled about their conversation. Wilson reportedly accused Grant of living in sin and opposition of the Ten Commandments. He also purportedly stated that although it wasn't a requirement for mothers of the students to be married, it is a “strong recommendation.”
CBS News reports Grant later spoke out about the incident on her Facebook page. She stated that she only spoke out so that the pastor could be made aware of how inconsistent his actions are with righteousness.
"I understand I'm not married and fornication would be what I committed not adultery!" she wrote. "However I've been the same unmarried women with children who have different fathers since the day he first accepted me [and] my children and the money for them to attend and that's where he's wrong."
"I’m sorry I didn’t get married in the time frame he thought I should of, but I wanted to bad!" she added. "But that’s just not what was for me at the time. I’m trying to change my life. Getting rid of old negativity that wasn’t good for me [and] my children. Trying to live [and] love right. [Trying] to be a better woman… Don’t knock me, pray for me."
School administrator Wilson released a statement to CBS in response to the controversy, writing, "The written agreement we have established with our parents … are meant to reflect a common commitment to the cause of Christ… The unfortunate reality of a relationship of this nature is that individuals occasionally decide to act in a manner inconsistent with this written agreement and, as a consequence, separate themselves from the community."
The note also infers that Grant and her children's behavior became a safety concern of their student body.
"Recently this did occur with one of our families. Unfortunately, portions of an audio recording were presented, which expressed only a small portion of the administration's and Board of Education's concerns. While we believe it would be wrong to make public the particular circumstances that led to this separation, out of concern for the privacy of the family, we also felt that dismissal was necessary in order to protect the safety of our school children and their families."
The children's grandmother is currently watching over the elementary school girls as Grant decides on how she would like to move forward. One thing that's for sure, however, is that Grant does not want her children in attendance at a school where they are neither welcomed nor wanted.
“As a man of God, you’re never supposed to turn your back on somebody who falls short. I just want him to know that this is not right," Grant stated.
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