CRAMERTON, N.C. — A rising high school senior was told by her school she could not return for her senior year of school. Cramerton Christian Academy says she cannot return because of where she performs as a musician outside of school hours.
Inside a Gastonia home is a girl finding her story. She is sitting on a chair holding her guitar. Her medium is music but right now, she's writing a chapter she didn't expect.
By day, Bailey Griggs was a student at Cramerton Christian Academy. By night, she's a singer-songwriter. She performs at venues any chance she can get -- but her school said the high note is out of tune.
"My Mom showed me an email from the school, saying they don’t want me to come back there because I perform in venues that serve alcohol," Griggs told WCNC Charlotte's Austin Walker.
Cramerton Christian Academy sent the following e-mail to Griggs' mom:
This letter is written to inform you that Bailey will not be eligible to attend HomeSchool Bridge classes at CCA for the upcoming school year.
The HomeSchool Bridge program policies indicate that students who attend those classes must also comply with the expected standards of conduct outlined in the Student Handbook. While we do not "police" every student's social media account, the school is often presented with situations or information that require our attention. In those circumstances, a student's social media presence may have a bearing on compliance with those standards.
The primary purpose of our conduct standards allows us to fulfill our Mission Statement, which states that "Cramerton Christian Academy endeavors to assist parents in equipping their students spiritually, academically, and physically so that they can experience God's best for their lives."
Based on the sample behaviors listed on page 40 of the Student Handbook: "attending night clubs or bars", and "attending gatherings with alcohol or drugs present", Bailey's social media and schedule of performances would indicate that Cramerton Christian is no longer a good fit for Bailey's goals.
As an alternative to the classes that Bailey would need for graduation, we would recommend exploring Gaston College's Dual Enrollment classes that are flexible and easy to schedule as needed.
We wish Bailey the very best for her senior year.
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Griggs said the email from the school struck a chord of confusion.
“You can go to a restaurant, they serve alcohol, Griggs said. "You can go to an Olive Garden. It’s the most innocent restaurant, but they serve alcohol. If you’re going to kick me out, might as well kick the whole school out.”
Most of her life is dedicated to music and at school it was an escape.
"This is the one thing that’s very normal for me," Griggs said. "I was on the cheer team, that was super important to me, and that’s what I was looking forward to in the next year.”
Not knowing her next step she turns to get a guitar. She took her emotions and channeled them. She wrote a new beautiful story.
"It really tears you down, but at the end, when you are overcoming it, you realize it’s beautiful it happened," Griggs said. "You will come out on top.”
WCNC Charlotte reached out asking for the official school policy and if the rules extend outside of school hours.
The school responded:
Thank you for your question. However, we value and protect the privacy of all of our students and their families, so we can not discuss any particular individual or situation with you.
WCNC Charlotte then asked the school again for a copy of the student handbook but did not hear back.
Griggs is set to perform at Coyote Joe's on Aug. 9.
Contact Austin Walker at awalker@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.