Sunnie Kahle is 8 years old. She goes to a private Christian school, Timberlake, in Forest, Virginia. When I saw the photo of Sunnie, I thought I was looking at a little boy. Her classmates have that problem, too. Her great-grandmother, Sunnie's adoptive mother, says Sunnie's peers sometimes ask her whether she is a girl or a boy.
Sunnie's school has asked that the family dress her in a more feminine way. In a letter sent by Principal Becky Bowman, she said that Sunnie and her family need to "clearly understand that God has made her female and her dress and behavior need to follow suit with her God-ordained identity." It was suggested to the family that if they weren't comfortable with that, then Timberlake was not the best place for her education.
A spokesman for the school says this is not just about her clothing or a phase she is going through, but confidentiality laws preclude him from saying anything further to rebut Sunnie's family's allegations. He says they would like to have Sunnie back -- she is generally cooperative and obeys school rules. "The school has never called the girl immoral, has never evicted her and is willing to work with her," he said. "She is a precious little girl."
It appears to me that Sunnie's great-grandparents are using their child to get their 15 minutes of fame. Why would you subject a little girl to national attention over an issue so sensitive? Perhaps Sunnie doesn't have a problem at all -- perhaps it's her guardians who do.
"'Tomboy,' 8, is pressured to transfer." The Dallas Morning News; March 29, 2014; p. 8A.
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