Christian school to pay $10,000 to student banned from graduation after coming out as gay

CLEVELAND, Tenn. (WSMV/Gray News) - A Tennessee Christian school will have to pay thousands of dollars to a student it reportedly prevented from graduating.

Morgan Armstrong, who was a senior, sued Tennessee Christian Preparatory School after she said the school banned her from graduation last year and withheld her diploma after coming out as gay.

Armstrong came out as gay on social media and was said to have sent a private message to friends asking them to “like” the post because she had “Trump-supporting Jesus” followers on social media.

Armstrong, a star basketball player at the school, had also posted online pictures of her and her girlfriend kissing, with a caption reading, “cat’s out of the bag.”

According to Armstrong, the school cited the ban was because of her conduct and “a disparaging remark.”

Armstrong’s family shared a letter they said the school had sent them, stating that the comment “reflected on the institution in the most negative possible way.”

On Monday, both sides agreed on the reported settlement with the school being ordered to pay Armstrong $10,000. She also received her diploma.

Furthermore, as part of the settlement, the school has been prevented from making disparaging comments about Armstrong to colleges.

“School is a place where every student is entitled to feel welcome, accepted, and supported. It is not a place where any administrator should feel comfortable disciplining or threatening kids for being gay,” Armstrong’s attorney Daniel Horowitz said. “We were proud to represent Morgan and her family in this righteous lawsuit.”

Horowitz had said previously that Armstrong didn’t post anything about the school online and that first-time social media violations should have resulted in just a one-day school suspension, per school policy.

“We hope Morgan’s bravery will inspire others to stand up for themselves the way that she did,” Horowitz said. “We are thrilled to have prevailed on their behalf.”

According to the final order, a judge stated that while the parties disagreed on the extent of Armstrong’s violation of school policies, both sides did agree for her suspension to be lifted.