Jackson-Reed strives for inclusivity. In order to support and validate our student body, we need to be thoughtful about which organizations we allow to be affiliated with our school. 

The Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) is an international organization intended to foster religious community via local chapters. Jackson-Reed’s FCA chapter was recently suspended after a grievance was filed regarding the organization’s stance on gender identity and sexual orientation. Various FCA documents feature homophobic and transphobic messaging; one of FCA’s student leadership applications states that “neither heterosexual sex outside of marriage nor any homosexual act constitute [a] lifestyle acceptable to God,” and their “Christian Community Statement” further clarifies their view, stating that “God creates people in His image as two distinct genders, male and female, and that the intended gender of an individual is determined by such individual’s biological sex at birth.”

Even if a Jackson-Reed chapter rejects the use of the aforementioned agreements, it will be inherently linked to the national FCA’s values on sexual purity, sexual orientation, and marriage. As a staff, we urge the formal renunciation of any official affiliation between our school and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. 

Religiously-affiliated extracurriculars are completely valid, and should be welcomed—however the presence of an organization that invalidates many students’ identities is wrong. There is no place for the FCA in our school community. Our diverse student body is an important part of Jackson-Reed, and it should be celebrated.

The presence of a chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes at Jackson-Reed contradicts the values of inclusivity and acceptance espoused by our students and corroborated by our administration. For this reason, we urge for the permanent suspension of the chapter. •