Christian Minard, a 22-year-old student has been expelled from an Oklahoma Christian college, because she broke the school’s “lifestyle covenant” by marrying her female partner.

Minard attended Southwestern Christian University, which is affiliated with the International Pentecostal Holiness Church. However, when an administrator saw the wedding pictures on Facebook of her marriage to her same-sex partner Kadyn Park earlier this year, the school initiated disciplinary proceedings.

Minard has now received a letter informing her she has been expelled from the college for breaking the school’s “lifestyle covenant”, which prohibits “homosexual behaviour”.

The letter from Brad Davis, the school’s vice president of student life, reads:

“I was informed that you recently married someone of the same sex and saw a few pictures from Facebook… Of course, this is opposing to our view as an International Pentecostal Holiness denominational university as well as the Lifestyle Covenant that all students must agree and sign. I have to uphold the Lifestyle Covenant at SCU and confront you with our position. Due to this recent event, you will not be able to attend SCU in the future.”

Brad Davis, Vice President of Student Life

In response,  Minard told CNN:

“Students violate parts of that covenant all the time, but they don’t get expelled… I didn’t even get a hearing, just a letter to my parents. There isn’t a similar program at an area university, so I’d have to change my program of study. And, being one semester from graduation means I have taken all my electives. I’ll lose all those credits if I transfer. Once I graduated, I was willing to go wherever life took me. I have a strong faith in God. And I believe you can still have faith in God and live a gay lifestyle.”

Christian Minard