In the town of Owasso nestled in Oklahoma in the United States, 8-year-old Chloe Shelton was a Year 3 student at Rejoice Christian School, a private Christian school.
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After going up to a classmate to confess her ‘feelings of love,’ the school, which clearly does not condone homosexual values, arranged an immediateexpulsion of the child.
What really happened?
In the days following the expulsion, the case quickly sparked controversy. CNN then took a hard look at the issue by interviewing Delanie Shelton, the mother of the little girl concerned.
Shelton confirmed that Chloe had been lectured by representatives of the school:
Even before I was called, the vice-principal told Chloe that the Bible says that women can only have children with men. She asked me what I thought about girls who like girls and I told her that I didn't see a problem.
The day after the incident, the mother explained that she had received a call from Joel Pepin, the school's supervisor, who explained that the school would no longer be welcoming Chloe and her five-year-old younger brother.
Surprised, the mother demanded an explanation, without any success. Shocked by this harsh decision, she said:
I was so taken aback. I was angry, hurt, sad, I felt betrayed... So many different emotions. I just couldn't believe it.
Joel Pepin allegedly refused to answer CNN's questions.
A homophobic decision
In an attempt to find out more, CNN looked at the school's internal rules. These state that ‘all forms of sexual immorality’ are contrary to the school's values.
For example, it is forbidden to hold hands, hug, and kiss each other.
These are details that Chloé's mother did not notice when she enrolled her daughter in the school.
People are shocked
On the web, many testimonies have appeared in support of the mother of the family and little Chloe. A fundraiser has even been started to support the little girl who is now looking for a new school.
