Graduation is a significant milestone for high school students, as it marks the first step into adulthood, leading to college life and beyond. However, a school in Tennessee is withholding one particular student’s graduation and diploma from her because of one sole reason — her sexual orientation. Tennessee Christian Preparatory School student Morgan Armstrong posted on social media about her relationship with another girl. Proud of who she is, Armstrong made a bold statement against those who might oppress her for being a gay lesbian, and this is what sent the school into a frenzy.
“Go like and comment on my post guys bc if no one on my socials knew I was gay then they sure as hell do now so this is a big thing tbh, also I’m kinda scared about the facebook comments bc i have some ruthless trump supporting ‘jesus’ mfs on there.”
From this comment on her social media posts, the Tennessee high school accused Armstrong of presenting the “institution, facility, staff, alumni, and students in the most negative possible way.” However, it’s clear from the above message that she never even mentioned or hinted at the school in any way possible. Nevertheless, Tennessee Christian refused to let her graduate, withheld her diploma until the next month, and banned her from all school events.
On top of that, staff threatened her with blackmail, saying that “records of posts and messages will be forwarded to colleges and universities as part of a comprehensive student file.” The Tennessee school even threatened not to send her a diploma if she made any similar statements again.
Needless to say, her family and plenty of internet users are furious that any high school would go to such lengths to abuse its power over a student because they were proud of being gay. “What the f*** is wrong with America?” remarked a Redditor reacting to Armstrong’s story. “I look forward to this student getting their college paid for by the school, which will pay for it with tax money. State funded college with extra steps,” quipped another.
Some blamed the religious parents for this situation, as Armstrong likely didn’t have a choice in where she was to enroll in high school. “This is one way terrible parents trap their kids,” says a commenter. Regardless, Tennessee Christian is 100% in the wrong and should publicly apologize to the girl and compensate her for all the trouble, as well as send her a rightfully deserved diploma. No student should have their future education jeopardized because of their sexuality, especially not in the USA, of all places.
