Parents Protest Catholic School’s Exclusion of Children of Same-Gender Coouple
An Oregon Catholic school has left a community reeling after deciding to rescind admission to the children of a same-gender couple. Other parents are threatening to pull their children from the school and discontinue financial support because of the rejection.
St. Agatha Catholic School, a K-8 Catholic school in Portland, rescinded an offer of enrollment earlier this month to children whose same-gender parents have decided to remain anonymous during this news cycle for safety reasons.
Oregon Live reports that the couple’s children were denied admission to the school by Rev. Luan Tran, pastor of St. Agatha Parish. The parents applied for admission to the school in May after one child spent a “shadow day” at school, accompanying another student through the daily program
“Our child had such a great day there [on his shadow day],” one parent stated. “After I picked him up, we went to the park, and when we drove back by, he said, ‘there’s my school.’”
On July 17th, the family attended a meeting with principal Dr. Trista Casey, which they were told was to “better understand your hopes in choosing a Catholic education for your children” and to share more about the “teachings of the Catholic church, especially as they relate to the mission and values that guide our school.” At this meeting, they were told that their children could not attend and were given a check refunding their registration fee.
According to the parents, Fr. Tran, who was at the meeting, said their family’s presence might “be perceived as a scandal” and “In Catholicism, marriage is between a man and a woman, and what would it do to the other kids in the class to find out our kids have two parents of thesame sex?”
News of the rejection spread quickly through the St. Agatha community, leading to both outrage and sorrow. Many families expressed disappointment that a Catholic school would exclude children based on their parents’ sexual orientation.
In a message to the school community, Fr. Tran claimed responsibility for the decision, writing it was made “solely under my pastoral authority and discernment.”
Parents and parishioners, however, are pushing back. Some have contacted Fr. Tran directly, only to hear that he believes admitting the children would conflict with the school’s mission. One longtime parent reported that when she asked if there was any possible scenario where the family could belong, she received no answer.
The Archdiocese of Portland has offered little clarity. Questions were directed to Elias Moo, director of the Office for the Mission of Catholic Education, but attempts from local media to reach him were unsuccessful.
Kari Kamper, a parent of two St. Agatha graduates said she would stop giving to the school “until a more inclusive and compassionate approach is restored.”
“To exclude a family based on sexual orientation contradicts the teachings of Jesus, who welcomed the marginalized and loved without condition. It sends a harmful message to students and the broader community — that some people are unworthy of belonging. This is not the lesson our children should learn from a Catholic school.”
Anne Smeraglio, another parent is considering withdrawing her child from school unless the decision to exclude is revers.At least eight other families are considering doing the same, she said.
At a time in which LGBTQ+ people are facing increased hostility, the Catholic institutions should show even greater love and acceptance, as Pope Francis modeled. While St. Agatha has done the opposite in this case, it is hopeful that members of the school community spoke out against the injustice that the LGBTQ+ family faced.
—Elsie Carson-Holt, New Ways Ministry, August 30, 2025
The only scandal, Fr. Tran, is your decision to deny a Christian education to these young children.
Stories like this continue to be so distressing. I say that not only (and primarily) because of the emotional and spiritual harm that this pastor and school leadership are inflicting on this family, the rejected children, and the entire community; but also because it is he that is truly causing a scandal.
I wonder if the school’s admissions policy looks at the marital status of all students’ parents? Are any parents divorced and remarried outside the Catholic Church? Are any parents single? Are any parents not Catholic, not Christian, or of no faith at all, and only civilly married, or are there Catholic parents only civilly married?
This pastor should be ashamed of himself for failing to follow teachings of the Church and the examples set both by the late and beloved Pope Francis, and his successor Pope Leo. Pope Francis repeatedly reminded us that the Church is open to “Todos, todos, todos!” If Jesus rejected no one, then how can those who claim to be His disciples reject anyone who seeks a closer connection to the Church?
Even if one were to accept this pastor’s apparent views on homosexuality — which I do not — his rejection of this family and these children is the true scandal. It reminds one of the old cartoon where a poor man in rags is sitting dejected on the curb outside of a beautiful and ornate and well-appointed church. Jesus comes to him and asks what’s wrong. The poor man says, “I guess I don’t have the right clothes so they won’t let me in the church.” Jesus responds, “That’s OK. They won’t let me in either.”
May God transform Fr. Tran’s heart of stone into a heart of flesh and may he come to see that this family also are children of God who should be welcomed no matter what. I plan on writing to Fr. Tran to express my thoughts. Perhaps we all should do the same.
[email protected]
This is disappointing, especially as a parishioner who made most of her childhood sacraments at a St. Agatha Parish (not in Portland, OR but one in Milton, MA). I wasn’t matriculated at their school, but I was a catechumen in St. Agatha faith formation, a player in their intramural basketball league, and a singer in their youth choir. The St. Agatha Parish I’ve attended was pretty accepting. Our archdiocese had a petition going around, I think in the lead-up to the Goodridge decision in Massachusetts Supreme Court. It was something to say same-sex marriage is against our faith. Our pastor didn’t coax or watch anyone sign it. It was set up in entrance of the church. He didn’t even explain much about it. But other pastors in churches around me did ask why certain parishioners hadn’t signed. And a choir director who worked at the parish for a while was gay and left the job due to a move, and departed on good terms. I even remember the priest set aside time at the end of the director’s last mass to thank and applaud him. To me it seems order-related parishes have more freedom to be affirming than diocesan ones, but even diocesan ones can do some encouraging things.
This is such a shame. I wrote a letter to Fr. Tran quoting Jesus who rebuked his disciples “Let the children come to me and do not hinder them”. And then he took and blessed them. Jesus managed to connect with people who were considered “undesirables” like prostitutes, publicans and even Samaritans and pagans and recognized and admired their faith. And how about Peter, who denied Jesus, claimed him to be Messiah and then was called Satan by Jesus and accepted his love. I think it’s time we followers of Jesus to become less Christian, less Catholic and more CHRIST-LIKE. The couple whose children were rejected remind me of the Syro-Phoenician woman of the gospels asking for the crumbs that fall from the table of the dog owners. In response, Jesus had another multiplication of loaves and fishes for those pagans. All the “Rosa Parks” of the world need to stand up and refuse to go to the back of the bus.
Well, here’s another example of the system of Catholicism sending out another “Go away”!
How rude! Another invitation for all: “You must come to the table, but you cannot eat.”
No wonder why the Churches are empty. The system, with its clergy, keeps telling folks to go away.
If Jesus had a grave, He’d turn over in it…again.