Tennessee School Pays $10K After Blocking Gay Student From Graduation
A Tennessee Christian school settled for $10,000 with a former student who was barred from graduation after publicly revealing her same-sex relationship on social media.
Morgan Armstrong reached the financial settlement with Tennessee Christian Preparatory School in Cleveland one year after filing legal action against the institution, as New York Post reports.
Armstrong, described as a standout basketball player at the school, claims she was suspended just two weeks before her scheduled graduation in 2025 after announcing on Facebook that she was in a relationship with Sophie Bryant. Court documents reviewed by the outlet show the suspension came shortly after her public announcement.
School officials strongly contested Armstrong’s version of events, maintaining that the disciplinary action stemmed from violations of social media policies. According to the school, Armstrong sent a disparaging private message to selected peers that triggered the response.
The controversy began in April 2025 when the then-18-year-old Armstrong posted about her relationship online with the phrase declaring the cat was out of the bag. In a private message to friends encouraging them to engage with her post, Armstrong wrote critically about Trump-supporting Christians on her social media, expressing concern about potential family fallout.
School administrators Kylie Machachek and Jared Tilley, the head of schools, subsequently called Armstrong into a meeting. Officials sent her a letter stating she had posted disparaging remarks reflecting negatively on Tennessee Christian, its faculty, staff, alumni and students—despite no direct reference to the school appearing in her posts.
The letter informed Armstrong she would not be permitted to attend graduation and warned that any additional disparaging comments would be forwarded to colleges. School officials also threatened to withhold her diploma if she failed to comply.
Armstrong’s lawsuit argued that nothing in her public post was vulgar, disrespectful or slanderous, and that her private message made no reference to anyone at the school. The legal filing noted that first-time policy violations typically result in only a one-day suspension, not the severe sanctions imposed on Armstrong.
The school’s response drew anger from the Armstrong family. Her mother Monica Armstrong described feeling shocked before becoming angry about the situation.
The former student said the experience permanently damaged her memories of the institution, though she expressed no regrets about her original post. Armstrong questioned why other students could freely post about their romantic relationships while she faced punishment for doing the same with her girlfriend.
In a joint statement following the settlement, school officials and the Armstrong family acknowledged their ongoing disagreement about whether policies were actually violated. Both parties stated they agreed to move forward without further comment.
Beyond the financial payout, the settlement includes a provision preventing the school from making any comments about Armstrong to colleges. Tennessee Christian Preparatory School declined to provide additional comment on the matter.
With information from New York Post
