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Local News

Friday, May 08, 2009

Don't go to prom, school tells teen
We Cell - Findlay
By MARY KATE MALONE

Staff Writer

A senior at Heritage Christian School will be suspended Monday for attending Findlay High School's prom because the event involves dancing and rock music.

A Heritage School committee decided Wednesday that Tyler Frost, 17, will be suspended if he attends Saturday's dance because the school's policy forbids dancing, rock music, hand holding and kissing.

Frost plans to attend prom anyway with his girlfriend, a senior at Findlay High.

He would have received his diploma May 24 from the 84-student fundamentalist Baptist school at 2000 Broad Ave. in Findlay.

But Frost will now be suspended from classes and receive an “incomplete” on remaining assignments, according to Principal Tim England.

He will not be permitted to attend any graduation ceremonies with his class of four students, but will receive his diploma once he completes his final exams.

If Frost “is involved with alcohol or sex” at the prom, he will be expelled from Heritage, England said.

Frost's stepfather, Stephan Johnson, said he plans to file a lawsuit against the school.

Frost has attended Heritage Christian, a ministry of Calvary Baptist Church, since kindergarten.

Other than a detention in seventh grade, Frost has never had disciplinary problems, he said.

“He deserves to wear that cap and gown,” Johnson said.

According to the school handbook, rock music “is part of the counterculture which seeks to implant seeds of rebellion in young people's hearts and minds.”

The school also forbids physical contact between girls and boys in grades 7-12.

Johnson believes those rules should not, and do not, apply outside the classroom. He said many students and their parents do not know the scope of the handbook's rules.

“How many people at that school know that when country music comes on, their kid could be expelled? Ninety percent of the school could be expelled,” Johnson said.

England said Frost agreed to the school's rules when he signed a statement of cooperation at the beginning of the school year.

“Our stand on this issue should be of no surprise to the student or his parents,” England said in a statement. “For the parents to claim any injustice regarding this issue is at best forgetful and at worst disingenuous. It is our hope that the student and his parents will abide by the policies they have already agreed to.”

England said he has never known a Heritage Christian student to attend Findlay's prom. He has been principal for 13 years.

Findlay High School requires students attending prom from other schools to get a signature from their principal.

England signed the form for Frost, but told him there would be “consequences” if he attended the dance, Frost said.

“I expected a short lecture about making the right decisions and not doing something stupid,” Frost said. “I thought I would get his signature and that would be the end.”

Instead, England took the issue to the School Committee, made up of church members, where they decided to suspend Frost.

“In life, we constantly make decisions whether we are going to please self or please God. (Frost) chose one path, and the School Committee chose the other,” England said.

Frost said he has never been to a dance before.

Craig Kupferberg, principal of Findlay High School, said he respects, but does not agree with, Heritage Christian School's view of prom activities.

“I don't see (dancing and rock music) as immoral acts,” Kupferberg said.

Malone: 419-427-8417,

Send an e-mail to Mary Kate Malone
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863 Comments (87 pages)

Latest comments listed first.
Patrick wrote:
It's over
“ Dear Jessica,
This story happened seven months ago, why drag it bad up again? Can you really be that upset about things all this long afterwards? ”
Wednesday, December 02, 2009 8:49:30 AM
Scott wrote:
A little late...
“ Jessica, you are about six months late to the party. ”
Wednesday, December 02, 2009 7:57:58 AM
Steve wrote:
Oh no....
“ Here we go again! Maybe it is time for an update on how step daddy's lawsuit is going 7 months on? ”
Tuesday, December 01, 2009 9:32:12 PM
beating a dead horse much? wrote:
really?
“ Are we really bringing this up again? ”
Tuesday, December 01, 2009 8:17:25 PM
Jessica wrote:
grow up!
“ He is not at school, therefore he is not breaking ANY RULES!! All you people saying that he should be punished need to get off your high horse and shut up! Dancing and Rock music?!?! Come on, would it be better if he was doing it behind the schools back? Grow up, it is something EVERY NORMAL teen does! There is nothing wronge with dancing and holding hands! Some of the comments on here anger me badly! You act like he is out doing drugs and having sex and drinking! Grow up people! It is kids like yours who won't experience REAL LIFE senerios who get into trouble when they graduate and get out into the real world. ”
Tuesday, December 01, 2009 7:50:58 PM
Rachel wrote:
Prom
“ All this talk about Heritage Christian and after school hours makes me want to play devil's advodcate for a moment. The prom was after school hours, so why should the public school require a permission form for non-students? I have been both a student and a teacher in public and Christian schools, and I know that there are rules that the institutions have that apply to activities after school hours. It's sad that in our day and age people cannot use common sense in understanding the rules of our schools- during or after hours- and every minute detail must be spelled out word for word. Tyler made his choice. He admits that he willfully chose to disobey the rules, therefore, he chose to suffer the consequences that he knew were a possibility. ”
Sunday, May 31, 2009 11:09:40 PM
Jessica York wrote:
Re: Did he break the rules?
“ How did Tyler break the rules when the dance was NOT on school property or was NOT during school hours? Schools irregardless CANNOT dictate what students/staff/parents do outside of school hours or even better yet, off school grounds. I am pretty sure that there are plenty of staff/parents that go to movies, walk around public during the summer when there are plenty of girls and even guys in shorts, dresses, swimsuits, etc... but you don't see them getting punished for doing things that are part of LIFE. So again I would really like to know how ANY rules were broken? I look at this way, if and I mean IF there were any rules broken they were broken by Mr. England himself when he signed the form for Tyler to attend the prom. End of story. If he did not sign the form stating that he was in good standing, then non of this b.s. would of started. People need to wake up and smell the coffee and realize that schools CANNOT control what anyone does outside of school hours. ”
Wednesday, May 20, 2009 12:06:36 AM
Joe wrote:
Did he break the rules
“ If he broke the rules he should be punished. Simple. ”
Tuesday, May 19, 2009 9:09:43 PM
Barbara wrote:
Tyler Frost Suspension
“ Isn't Principle England's signature on the form from Findlay High School a way of condoning Tyler's attendance at the Findlay Prom? If Mr. England believes that Tyler and his parents should "abide by the policies they have already agreed to" he should have never signed the form.

It is a shame that Mr. England and his school does not have enough faith in their students to trust that they will "do the right thing" when confronted with activities or the like that test their teachings. ”
Tuesday, May 19, 2009 4:44:58 PM
P. wrote:
teen suspended for going to prom
“ It's like Footloose all over again. There is nothing wrong with going to a dance and having something to eat. ”
Saturday, May 16, 2009 7:05:00 PM
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