Following the death of George Floyd, an offensive photo involving Legacy students was taken, went viral through social media outlets, and came to the attention of our school leadership. It was inexcusable and disrespectful to the memory, and family, of Mr. Floyd.
Our administration and Board members worked quickly to investigate the situation and were deeply disheartened that students from our school would behave in this manner. We take seriously our mission of “equipping the mind and discipling the heart of each student for Christ-like living.” The photo and subsequent posts connected to it, directly contradict the values and teachings we work to advance with our students. Specifically, the following truths shared through our Statement of Faith:
We Believe that all humans are created in the image of God and therefore every individual is highly valuable. As a result, God expects all people to be treated with respect and honor. In a world that seeks to divide us over issues of race, gender, and other issues, we are called to love and encourage one another as we strive for unity (Mark 12:29-31; I John 4:19-20; Ephesians 4:1-3). Our unity is in Christ; this means that all bullying and racism whether it is physical, verbal, cyber, written, or relational is sin.
We Believe that life is a gift from God and is precious.
We Believe that life begins at conception (Psalm 139:13-16; Isaiah 44:2a; Isaiah 49:5a) and each person’s days are numbered by God (Psalm 139:16; James 4:13-15).
There is a standard we hold our students to, both in and out of the classroom that supports the sanctity of life and respect for all people. The sanctity of life is a value we hold dear and acting with complete disregard to the gravity of the death of a fellow human is simply wrong. Whether intended or not, anything that hints of disrespect for the sanctity of life, prejudice, and/or racism will not be tolerated. God isn’t about separation, but unity, and He cares how we treat each other because we are all created in His image.
Dealing with the injustice of George Floyd and racism is something Legacy needs to and will engage in deeper. There is an opportunity before us to equip the minds and disciple the hearts of our students in this topic. It is clear that there are students at Legacy who are hurting, and it’s our calling to listen, clarify, and continue to provide opportunities to learn how to navigate the complexities in our world today with biblical conviction, compassion, and courage.
NOTE: In connection with this matter, inquiries have been made to Legacy regarding the individuals involved. Privacy laws prevent us from making any further statements regarding the personal details concerning this matter. Specifically, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act known as FERPA, is a federal privacy law that controls what all schools, public and private, may say about students that are or have been enrolled in the school. FERPA prevents us from making any additional comments regarding the disciplinary actions taken.