Teen Suspended from Christian School for Attending Girlfriend's Prom

[Archon_Turtle]

This should be a fun one...

FINDLAY, Ohio -- A northwest Ohio teenager is beginning a suspension imposed by his Christian school because he attended another high school's prom with his girlfriend.

Officials at Heritage Christian School in Findlay had warned 17-year-old Tyler Frost that he would be suspended and prohibited from attending graduation if he went to the dance over the weekend.

Frost says he didn't think going to the dance was wrong even though his fundamentalist Baptist school forbids dancing, rock music and hand-holding.

Frost didn't go to school Monday. Instead, he's heading to New York with his girlfriend where they'll do an interview with the CBS "Early Show" on Tuesday.

The teen says he's now getting Facebook and e-mail messages from around the world.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

I'm just...going to leave this one alone...Enjoy the theological debate! BWAHAHAH!

I will say that I did go to a private christian High School myself...and some of their rules are ...a little....out there (our senior prom queen was expelled for smoking a cig...off campus....at the age of 18...)

Then again...you DO sign contracts and Pay money to be in these draconian concentration camps...so I dunno.

[Lil G]

Ok, I kind of understand kissing, but holding hand!? That's outrageous! And why should they suspend him for doing something in his personal life? If anything, they have no control of that. That's just stupid.

[Mecha Cow]

It's stupid yeah, but if you choose to go to a private school, you choose to play by its rules... even if they are ridiculous.

[Jester]

Exactly, the price you pay...aside from the tuition mind you...for going to a private Christian school.

[Peanut]

Yeah, never understood people who b*tch about this kind of thing. If you're paying to go to school, you play by their rules.

[Buslady]

thats whacha get for going to a private school with mideval rules

[Hannah]

thats whacha get for going to a private school with mideval rules
Have you just completely let yourself go? At least try to type correctly, FFS.

[VaughnMichael]

Um Not sure about him but when I went to a private christian school I was forced to go by my parents because I kept getting into trouble in public school.
So not everyone has a choice as to what school they go to.

[Ra]

I went to a private school. Thank god it wasn't as strict as private schools like this.

Seriously, I can't really understand restrictions like this. Going to a prom/formal event is such a serious offence to call upon a suspention now? I know that it's the school's rules and that to keep them away from rock 'n roll and the families are paying for the kid's education but... wow.

[Raph's Girl]

I loved private school. Yeah it was a bit strict (big rule was no throwing rocks....I got a 2 day suspension for that...yeah :P) but I prefer that over public. I went to public for High School...but even that had the no holding hands policy...mostly cuz hallways at schools are sometimes narrow so 2 people walking side by side holding hands gets in people's way....there was also a no kissing in the halls policy. I only know of one instance where people got suspended for kissing... 2 goth girls :lol:

[Ginny]

I don't think the school should have any control of what a student does in their personal life. Inside the school is one thing, but I think it is outrageous that the school thinks they should have control over every aspect of a student's life. I mean what's next, a student gets suspended because they <gasp> walked into a Spencer's??? Or went to a movie not rated G??? Oh the horror!

[Spitfire]

I would have had sex with her while listening to metal on top of a bible, I'd video taped it, and made sure my school principle saw it.

When I went to school kids did what ever the hell they wanted. They weren't supposed to have sex in the bathrooms...but they did. No one really ever stopped them I have no clue why. We could hold hands, make out, whatever as long as it wasn't disrupting someone else's learning or it wasn't rudely during a lecture. Honestly making standard high school relationship practice a taboo subject is only going to make it that much more desirable to the average teenager.

[Candy Kappa]

a girl I know and her boyfriend dozed off after studying together, the house lady or what ever its called caught them sleeping next to each other.
And since its a Christian school they got suspension, but not from school but from the campus for a week I think it was.
Since they both lived far away from the school she had to wake up 3 hours before school started and be driven to school by her mother and barely get there in time, and her boyfriend who lives so far away he had to sleep in a dumpsters since he could't afford taking the train and several busses.

[Sewer Bull]

Officials at Heritage Christian School in Findlay had warned 17-year-old Tyler Frost that he would be suspended and prohibited from attending graduation if he went to the dance over the weekend.

How did the officials know that he was going there, in the first place?

Media whores.

[Spitfire]

her boyfriend who lives so far away he had to sleep in a dumpsters since he could't afford taking the train and several busses.

And if this really happened I have to say this is the point where you grow a set and tell them where to shove it. If your paying to go to school you don't put up with crap like that. I guess college can be viewed differently but there's a director at my college who constantly tries to censor my work. I basically told her to go to hell. My philosophy is I pay to go to college, therefore I'm paying for a service and I can turn in whatever I damn well please for work. She continually gets mad because the teachers keep giving me good grades and there's nothing she can do about it because I spoke with the dean about it and he told me no matter what no one can censor me.

One student alone in a class full of 20 or more pays a teachers salary for teaching that class for the whole quarter. So the school makes a killing on all the extra cash they get. Trying to control my life outside of school would have only warranted further backlash from me. I sure as hell wouldn't be sleeping in a dumpster. I'd be telling them they can either pay for my transportation or go **** themselves. People need to learn that they don't need to take **** from anyone.

This is all of course aged based and it's harder to gain this kind of ground as a 14 year old but even in the kid sleeping in a dumpsters case his parents could have fought for him.

[Brodie]

I would have had sex with her while listening to metal on top of a bible, I'd video taped it, and made sure my school principle saw it.


What's it like, living on the edge all the time? Playing by no one's rules but your own?

So. Bad. Ass.

[Spitfire]

What's it like, living on the edge all the time? Playing by no one's rules but your own?

So. Bad. Ass.

Oh it's amazing, liberating, it's kinda like free balling. You know what I mean?

[Jester]

I'm sure he doesn't.

Wait, neither do I...

:cry: I need a hug!

[shredder17]

how absolute is your idea of "playing by my own rules" does it apply to how you post on this forum. Do you go by the rules of the board?

[Peanut]

how absolute is your idea of "playing by my own rules" does it apply to how you post on this forum. Do you go by the rules of the board?

"Playing by his own rules" just means he b*tches about the world a lot. And girls. He used to b*tch about girls more than Leo656 does about the WWE. Oh, also, he used to say people were poor for not being able to afford an HDTV.

[Spitfire]

"Playing by his own rules" just means he b*tches about the world a lot. And girls. He used to b*tch about girls more than Leo656 does about the WWE.
Funny you've done a fair share of that as well. Your really not one to talk.

Oh, also, he used to say people were poor for not being able to afford an HDTV.
And you used to call anyone who didn't agree with you about video games nasty names for no good reason.

We're all guilty of a little sin, get over it.

how absolute is your idea of "playing by my own rules" does it apply to how you post on this forum. Do you go by the rules of the board?
My idea of playing by "my own rules" has nothing to do with my own rules. I just make a point to know my rights and what power I have in certain situations so people can't walk all over me. It mainly applies to my college and jobs because a lot of people try to pull stuff on you.

Honestly I was just messing around but people around here have no sense of humor and take everything I say seriously for some odd reason. I guess you all think someone exists who would actually say something like
"I would have had sex with her while listening to metal on top of a bible, I'd video taped it, and made sure my school principle saw it."
and mean it.

[Peanut]

Funny you've done a fair share of that as well. Your really not one to talk.

And you used to call anyone who didn't agree with you about video games nasty names for no good reason.

We're all guilty of a little sin, get over it.

I think I made a couple posts complaining about my relationship sucking for a bit, but I don't know if it compares to your epic tale with that Asian chick. Just saying! It was a joke btw.

And I still do that, man! It's my gimmick!

[shredder17]

thanks for the reply. i just like to understand different philosophies and world views.

[Cure]

thanks for the reply. i just like to understand different philosophies and world views.

Coming to a TMNT message board is just the place for that.

[Spitfire]

I think I made a couple posts complaining about my relationship sucking for a bit, but I don't know if it compares to your epic tale with that Asian chick. Just saying! It was a joke btw.
I don't know if anything compares. I was being way overly dramatic and emo.

And I still do that, man! It's my gimmick!

Hey stick with what your good at I always say.

[Cipher]

Well, the school's a private institution, and it has the right to remove any of its students.

Pretty extreme though. As for theological debates, there's really nothing to discuss. The school was within its rights, but by no means does it represent Christianity or other Christian schools.

And I'm not religious at all.

[Candy Kappa]

well in my friends situations it's the only school that have the course she wanted to learn, unless she'd take a airplane each morining or move out to the other side of the country.
But due to some of the teachers making her school days a living hell she's dropping out and want to be a truck mechanic instead (her older sister is a car mechanic so she wants to do something bigger:D )

[Ryona]

Hold the phone...

Unless a student is ditching school, shouldn't the school's rules not have power over a student who's not in school?

I mean, that's like getting detention because you got into a fist-fight during the weekend.


But then, I've never gone to a private religious school. So I guess their rules must be obeyed 24 hours, every day, any time of year. Even summer break.

[Candy Kappa]

Hold the phone...

Unless a student is ditching school, shouldn't the school's rules not have power over a student who's not in school?

I mean, that's like getting detention because you got into a fist-fight during the weekend.


But then, I've never gone to a private religious school. So I guess their rules must be obeyed 24 hours, every day, any time of year. Even summer break.

she's ditching school after the incident. it was the last drop kinda thing

[BubblyShell22]

I would think that maybe the school found out about him going to prom if he told some of his friends about it. Then they forbade him to go, stating that he would be suspended. He disobeyed, and I think he should be punished for disobeying them. I'm not religious either, but I think religious schools are like any other schools, except they might be a bit stricter. The kid was warned, and he didn't heed it.

[Leonardo Mystic]

I would think that maybe the school found out about him going to prom if he told some of his friends about it. Then they forbade him to go, stating that he would be suspended. He disobeyed, and I think he should be punished for disobeying them. I'm not religious either, but I think religious schools are like any other schools, except they might be a bit stricter. The kid was warned, and he didn't heed it.

School should not dictate your personal life. The school has no authority to tell anyone what to do off school grounds. It's absurd. Religious schools are not like any other schools either. They have a different set of rules entirely, but those rules should apply only inside the school, not outside it.

This kid is being wrongly punished for what? Going to a prom with his girlfriend at her school. Since when has this become a crime? It's throwing out the baby with the bathwater.

[Cipher]

School should not dictate your personal life. The school has no authority to tell anyone what to do off school grounds. It's absurd.Absurd it may be, but as far as I'm aware, well within the school's authority. If this was a public school it absolutely wouldn't fly. But as a private institution it has the right to refuse patronage of any individual for any reason.

Unless someone can tell me otherwise.

[Spitfire]

Unless a student is ditching school, shouldn't the school's rules not have power over a student who's not in school?

The way it works with public school is such. The school is responsible for you from the time you leave your house in the morning to go there until the time you get home. Now if your parent drops you off and picks you up all liability is dropped. However if you walk then school jurisdiction is still looming over you. Anything you do the school is liable for so if you deface property the school gets in trouble for it too. If you get in a fight before you get home then you can get in trouble with the school as well.

That's how it worked when I went anyways. They used to always tells us, do whatever you want just make sure you go home first. The way to tell if you've "gone home" was usually if you had a backpack or not. So kids who would cut would stuff them in lockers and try to pass off as seniors who had senior opens.

I had this all explained to me when cops used to insist on wasting my time by stopping me because I got out of school at lunch time my senior year. I worked extra hard to I could go home early my last year and I got harassed for it.

[Tuxedo Moroboshi]

Well, even though I think these rules are completely ridiculous (it's not like he had sex with the girl or anything), the school has every right to uphold them. Like others have said, it's a private schools. Either you play by their rules or GTFO. It's not the same as a public school. They expect you to commit to these rules, otherwise you're not taking the school seriously. And if you're not taking the school seriously, why bother to even attend?

It's a shame that this had to happen so close to graduation, but rules are rules. Even though this happened outside of the school, it's still part of the schools rules, and if a person really has a problem with the rules, they shouldn't even be going to that school in the first place. There's other schools out there with far more lenient rules, afterall.

On the other hand, it's likely that the kid was sent there by his parents and didn't have any interest in that school himself. In which case, I'd say the blame actually lies with the parents. Still, there might be more to all of this than meets the eye. We can't fully discern the situation without knowing anything about what the parties involved are like. We're really just working on assumptions of their character. Do we really know if this kid is actually a rebellious youth, as so many of us have painted him, or could it be that he's actually someone that followed the schools rules to the letter, but snuck out for this because he truly wanted to be with his girlfriend?

There's a lot of things to consider, and while many of us may not like the rules this particular school had, the bottom line still comes down to this: The school has a right to do what it did, as stupidly strict as what it did might be.

[ThirdMarioBro]

Ugh...that's why I get so disgusted every time I see a religious fundamentalist --especially the young ones. Spiritual belief is cool. Hell, religion is fine, but nothing bothers me more than a teenage fundamentalist. It's such a waste of good youth. They're trained from birth to start praying for forgiveness every time blood rushes to their genitals because their parents are so deathly afraid to admit they have monkey DNA. Everything has an extreme, and this is an example.

If they were holding hands within the school the school would (as much as it hurts to say it) have been within their rights. But he did it in his personal life, which is why this debate is here. It's a gross abuse of power.

And what's with this belief that men and women can't touch each other until they're married? Ever wonder why the divorce rate is so damn high? They treat marriage like a contract. Well, if it's a contract, then you shouldn't you try before you buy? I pity kids that got to that school and ones like them. I mostly viewed practices like theirs as an outsider as I went to a Christian school myself for several years to get out of the also broken public system (you get sh*t wherever you go), but refused to live by their bullsh*t outside the school. His school apparently has Christian watchdog police or something.

I always found it hilariously hypocritical that the Church decries homosexuality as a mortal sin, but then do everything they possibly can to keep the sexes from intermingling. Just funny on so many levels.

Honestly making standard high school relationship practice a taboo subject is only going to make it that much more desirable to the average teenager.

Which is the same reason why the drug war is so stupid.

[Tuxedo Moroboshi]

Ya know, I'm not exactly the most religious person around, but I really don't think people should generalize so much. Just because one Christian does something, it doesn't mean all Christians are that way. This is actually the first I've ever heard of anything this strict, outside of satire.

I dunno, I'm not an expert on any religion, but theological beliefs aside, lumping the actions of all Christians together seems to be about the same as saying all Black people are gang members, or all Hispanics work in fast food.

To me, this just seems like the people in charge of the school are unreasonable. I don't think it's because they're Christian, so much that I think they're just very authoritative to the extreme.

[ThirdMarioBro]

I'm not lumping all Christians together. There's many on this board who are just as level headed as the next person, and I totally respect that. What I'm lumping together are the "extremists", aka the people who take a religion and run it to the far reaching ends of intolerance, and those can come from most any religion or faith. The people who run that school are (specifically) Christian extremists, but that doesn't necessarily mean I'm relating them to any normal, level-headed Christian out there.

Sorry if I wasn't clear enough there.

[Tuxedo Moroboshi]

Nah, I guess I just misinterpreted.

[shredder17]

by what universal standards do you use to be disgusted by fundamentalist christians? is your view subjective opinion or objective truth? if your views are true then biblical christianity is wrong and you would be justified in being disgusted at young christians praying and staying sexually pure till marriage. if the God of the bible exists then fundamentalist christianity would the objective truth we would all be accountiable to. do you think christians believe homosexuality is wrong because they hate homosexuals or because they are trying to be consistant with biblical teachings? a "fundamentalist christian" is someone who believes that there is absolute, universal, objective and moral truth that the universe is founded upon and that biblical christianity is the highest and most logically consistant worldview. why would it be wrong to be an extremist if you had a perfect philosophy? my understanding of an extremist is a person who takes a view to its logical ends and i believe if you hold views that you cant draw them out logically, why hold them? i am not an extremist with my personal prefrences or opinions but if i believe murdering children is wrong, why not hold strong views on it?

[The Stryker]

......What?

[Mecha Cow]

why would it be wrong to be an extremist if you had a perfect philosophy?
You're kidding, right?

[Peanut]

I'm Christian!

[Ginny]

I always found it hilariously hypocritical that the Church decries homosexuality as a mortal sin, but then do everything they possibly can to keep the sexes from intermingling. Just funny on so many levels.

How true is that? Unfortunately, I remember the church camp from eons ago. (I've tried to block it out.) They were so freaked over some of the dumbest things, and the boys' dorm was seperate from the girls' dorm by a friggin' ravine! We weren't allowed to eat together, do any of the activities together, the only time we were allowed to interact was in chapel.

I used to buy into a lot of the hype, but as I've aged I've became way less conservative. WAY LESS!!!

Which is the same reason why the drug war is so stupid.

EXACTLY!!! THANK YOU!!!

[Guitar_Raph]

I would expect this sort of rule in the state of Utah. But for Ohio, ridiculous!

[Cipher]

I'm Christian!So, why do you hate dancing?

I would expect this sort of rule in the state of Utah. But for Ohio, ridiculous! Living in Utah must be like being an old person. Everything you do is completely justified because no one wants to deal with you.

[shredder17]

i am not using the word extremist how its understood in popular culture. i believe the teachings of JESUS CHRIST are perfect, so i try to conform every aspect of life after them. because of this i am called an extremist. i am not talking about forcing my views on anyone but standing for absolute truth.

[shredder17]

i agree with all of you that the school is being too legalistic. i problem with the comments that were made about ?fundamentalist christians? being intolerant. i have good friends who are satanists, atheists, muslims and other worldviews and we have fun debating each other. to me intolerance is threatening, killing or hating someone because they have a different view then you. i have homosexual friends who understand that my problem with homosexuality is not personal but simply trying to take a stand on biblical commandants. i have no problem if one believed i was wrong but please dont say its because christians are homophobes or hypocrites. if i said i believe in the bible and i believe homosexuality is right at the same time i would be being intellectually dishonest and inconsistent.

[GK Punk]

Hardly the best place for this kind of discussion.