Christian private school receiving criticism over homosexuality assignment for students

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE/Gray News) - A private school in Louisville is receiving criticism online after an essay assignment leaked that required students to argue against homosexuality.

WAVE reported this week that photos showed an assignment titled “CW Letter to a Homosexual Friend” from a Christian Academy of Louisville Bible-elective course.

According to the screenshots, the essay required students to write a hypothetical letter to a longtime friend “who is struggling with homosexuality.” The instructions also require students to talk to the friend “in a way that does not approve of any sin.”

A list of requirements in the essay included showing the friend “that homosexuality will not bring satisfaction” and “that you love them even though you don’t approve of their lifestyle.”

A picture of the grading scale showed religious teachings to provide a logical argument in the essay.

Louisville businessman J.P. Davis said he got the screenshots of the assignment from a close friend who has a child attending the school.

“My friend was shocked, actually, and I was shocked when she shared it with me,” Davis said. “Obviously, I had a reaction, because I identify as gay, and I stayed in the closet 23 years because I was taught fear the same way this seventh-grader is being taught today.”

That’s why he decided to do something and shared them online. Davis said he received more than 1,000 messages throughout the day.

“So many people have reached out to me to say, ‘That can’t be real,’ or, ‘My kid goes there, that can’t be real,’” Davis said.

Superintendent Darin Long with the Christian Academy released the following statement regarding the assignment:

“We have been made aware that a student assignment from one of our middle school bible elective classes has been posted on social media. The assignment is part of a unit of study which discusses “What are humans and where is their identity”. This particular assignment, in context, was how a person could discuss homosexuality with a friend from a biblical perspective with compassion and love. This hypothetical friend conversation was for our students to review the class discussions and their perspectives on the subject. Moving forward, we will review this assignment to ensure there is clarity in its purpose and language.

Christian Academy of Louisville is a Christian-based private school system that partners with families that desire a Christ-centered educational environment. We teach all content with a biblical worldview which is defined in our Statement of Faith and Theological Documents which are provided at the time of student applications, during family interviews, and in our school and parent partnership agreements.

We believe that God created the marriage covenant to be between one man and one woman (Gen. 1:27, Gen. 2:24). We believe that sex is a good gift of God, to be celebrated within the confines of the marriage covenant, agreeing that all other sexual expressions go against God’s design. (1 Cor. 6:18, Gal. 5:19)

We believe that all individuals are created in the image of God and therefore should be treated with compassion, respect, dignity, and love at all times even in disagreement.”

Christian Academy of Louisville is a private school, and their handbook states that they believe marriage is between a man and a woman. Davis does not think that means this assignment was OK.

“They’re a private school; they can do what they want,” Davis said. “They have a board; they create their own values. Parents decide where their kids go to school. These kids should have a voice.”

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