Eight-year old Sunnie Kahle likes to have short hair, wear sneakers and play sports. That’s also the reason why her school said she was no longer welcome there and her grandparents had to pull her out. The family received a letter from Timberlake Christian School telling them that if their girl did not comply by the school’s biblical standards, then she would not be allowed to enroll for the next academic year. Kahle’s grandparents pulled her out immediately and got her admitted to a public school.
According to Kahle’s grandparents, she is like any other girl who goes to Timberlake Christian School.
“She cries every morning to get on the bus, she cries when she comes home because she wants to go back to Timberlake Christian with her friends,” said Doris Thompson.
The letter received by Thompson states that fellow students have been confused about whether Kahle is a boy or a girl and that the administrators can refuse enrollment to a student based on grounds of sexual immorality, being homosexual or other alternative gender identities.
“You're probably aware that Timberlake Christian School is a religious, Bible believing institution providing education in a distinctly Christian environment… We believe that unless Sunnie as well as her family clearly understand that God has made her female and her dress and behavior need to follow suit with her God-ordained identity, that TCS is not the best place for her future education,” read Thompson.
Doris and Carroll Thompson, Kahle’s grandparents adopted and raised the little girl when she was even younger.
“How do you label a child, eight years old, or discriminate against an eight year old child? It just don't happen,” said Thompson.
According to an administrator at Timberlake Christian School, the problem with Kahel goes “far beyond her hair length” and that the little girl is a good student, but that “things disturbed the classroom environment.”
“How do you tell a child when she wants to wear pants a shirt, and go out and play in the mud and so forth, how do you tell her, no you can't, you've got to wear a pink bow in your hair, and you've got to let your hair grow out long, how do you do that? I can't do that,” said Thompson.
School administrators clarified that they had not accused Kahle of being anyone or anything and simply asked her family to make sure she follows the guidelines set forth for every student but the Thompsons say that they do not wish to re-enroll Kahle at the Timberlake Christian School.
Photo Credit: ABC News
