Article


FINDLAY, Ohio – A student at a fundamentalist Baptist school that forbids dancing, rock music, hand-holding and kissing will be suspended if he takes his girlfriend to her public high school prom, his principal said.

Despite the warning, 17-year-old Tyler Frost, who has never been to a dance before, said he plans to attend Findlay High School's prom Saturday.

Frost, a senior at Heritage Christian School in northwest Ohio, agreed to the school's rules when he signed a statement of cooperation at the beginning of the year, principal Tim England said.

The teen, who is scheduled to receive his diploma May 24, would be suspended from classes and receive an "incomplete" on remaining assignments, England said. Frost also would not be permitted to attend graduation but would get a diploma once he completes final exams. If Frost is involved with alcohol or sex at the prom, he will be expelled, England said.

Frost's stepfather Stephan Johnson said the school's rules should not apply outside the classroom.

"He deserves to wear that cap and gown," Johnson said.

Frost said he thought he had handled the situation properly. Findlay requires students from other schools attending the prom to get a signature from their principal, which Frost did.

"I expected a short lecture about making the right decisions and not doing something stupid," Frost said. "I thought I would get his signature and that would be the end."

England acknowledged signing the form but warned Frost there would be consequences if he attended the dance. England then took the issue to a school committee made up of church members, who decided to threaten Frost with suspension.

"In life, we constantly make decisions whether we are going to please self or please God. (Frost) chose one path, and the school committee chose the other," England said.

The handbook for the 84-student Christian school says rock music "is part of the counterculture which seeks to implant seeds of rebellion in young people's hearts and minds."

And your point of view is?
Or do you intend to cut and paste every religious article you can find.
For those of us to stupid to use the internet or read a paper.

I was just curious as to what people think. I think in this case, the school has NO right to suspend, expel, or do anything else for this child's after school activities. These extreme right wing nut job baptists (just THESE ones, not all Baptists) seem to be out of their mind. That extreme on either the left or right is a bad thing. But i think it comes to down to not punishing the child for LEGAL activities he chooses to participate in with his parents blessing, after school. And i think trying to do so makes these fundies look like morons, and it gave me a good laugh.

"Fundamentalist Baptist" sounds like a private school. If so, then they have the freedom to discipline and expel as they wish. The parents can always find another private school or use the government schools.

Kind of reminds me of homebuyers who buy into a covenant protected subdivision and then cry and moan about the enforcement that they signed up for at closing.

If he signed a form he can be punished.

The whole point of most Christian schools is to teach ideals that they think are right, at school, home, the movies or wherever. The school only hurts itself if it says "We believe this here, but not anywhere else."

I love rock music; and attended three proms.