Teachers, students leave King's Schools over anti-gay religious beliefs

The new leader of King's Schools told KIRO-7 after the schools' 70-year history it was time to reaffirm the core values.

The school met with teachers about the expectations to work at the Christian school in Shoreline.

One of the policies included same-sex relationships.

An email was also sent to families of students at the school and stated, "King's upholds the historical Biblical standard of morality that sexual expression is confined within the marriage of one man and one woman."

Teachers were told they needed to follow that belief at school and in their personal lives.

CRISTA Ministries CEO Jacinta Tegman said a few staff members weren't comfortable with the policy and chose to leave.

"When it comes to sexual expression the Bible teaches us that sexual intimacy is reserved between a marriage between one man and one woman . And we, as a faith-based Christian organization uphold that belief and teaching, " said Tegman, "We hire people who profess to be Christians and that they would uphold the teachings of the Bile. But we serve anyone regardless of their position. If they want to be here, we want them to be here."

Ruthie Mogg was supposed to be a senior at King's High School this year. Instead, her parents pulled her out of school. She'd attended King's Schools since kindergarten. Mogg said her parents didn't want to fund a school with those beliefs. She didn't blame them and is upset with the school.

"They're hurting students and they're excluding a huge group of people who do not feel valued or that they can be themselves because of what's been said, " said Mogg, "There are a lot of transgender, gay and bi, students at King's still. One transgender guy I was close with and I'm thinking who is he going to be able to go and talk to , and know who is in his corner."

Mogg decided to do Running Start at Shoreline Community College.

A group of parents of King's students is organizing and working to find ways to support the LGBTQ students.

Another parent told KIRO-7 the email was re-stating what she's known about the school for years and she doesn't think it should have been a surprise to families who send their students to the private Christian school.

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