The couple didn't feel comfortable with their daughter, McKenzie, being asked to submit the controversial assignment. “A bathtub is not appropriate for a child to take a picture,” Misty told Action News Jax.
The parents contacted the teacher about their daughter's assignment.
Misty reached out to the teacher to learn more about the class assignment. “I emailed the teacher ‘Hey, you may want to explain that. Send something out to the parents. Let them know what the intentions are.’ This just does not sound OK,” Misty told Action News Jax.
“She did send out a message saying, ‘you should be in pajamas, be in your uniform, have fun with it.’ But, it didn’t sit right.”
Misty also contacted school administration about the incident, stating that they "have been sending this homework assignment for years, and you’re the only one complaining about it," according to a police report from the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office.
A school administrator suggested withdrawing the student from the school.
The Dunham family continued seeking answers about the class assignment, and they received a phone call from an administrator at the school.
“[He said] ‘I think you guys should do a parental withdrawal for the child.’ I said, ‘I can’t. I can’t do that. We refuse to withdraw her,’” Misty explained to Local 12. “He said, ‘OK thank you for saying that,’ and continued on saying that, ‘Well, we’re going to proceed with an administration withdraw.’”
Victory Christian Academy responded to the parents concerns by sending out a letter regarding their daughter's status with the institution.
The found out the second grader was no longer a student at Victory Christian Academy.
According to Action News Jax, the letter stated that McKenzie was no longer a student at Victor Christian Academy. The girl's parents were ultimately surprised the school did not explain why she was removed.
“No explanation,” Misty said. The Dunham family believed the school should have handled the situation better instead of kicking their daughter out of school.
“She did something right by telling mom and dad that she wasn’t comfortable with something, and now she’s no longer in school,” Christopher said.
The school president released a statement following the incident.
Victory Christian Academy's president, Pastor Jesse Latta, released a statement addressing the Dunham's concerns and the class assignment.
The statement reads: “There was an assignment given, as I understand you have received a copy. It was taken out of an online teacher resource and has been used in many schools. There were certainly no bad intentions with this assignment. When a parent contacted our teacher with a complaint, our teacher immediately sent out correspondence to all parents in the class to assure them that there were no bad intentions with this assignment and to clarify the guidelines. No additional concerns were presented to the teacher. While the assignment was completely innocent, out of an abundance of caution and for there to be no misunderstandings, our administration has removed this particular assignment for any future use. We value our children and their safety is our top priority. We will continue to serve the children and families in which the Lord has graciously allowed us to have a part in their lives.”
0 commentaires :