Student Safeguarding Concerns at North Valley Christian Academy

Our daughter enrolled at North Valley Christian Academy as a motivated and hopeful student for her sophomore year.

Upon acceptance, she tried out for both volleyball and cheer and earned placement on Junior Varsity Volleyball and Varsity Cheer. From the outset, we were transparent about her dual-sport commitments and met with school leadership to discuss expectations. It was understood that volleyball was her primary sport and that her role in cheer would be limited to sideline participation at basketball games and school events—not competition cheer.

Throughout the fall semester, this arrangement appeared to be accepted. Our daughter maintained strong academics, positive relationships with teachers, and no disciplinary issues. No concerns were raised regarding her conduct, honesty, or commitment. She was never placed on probation, never warned that her enrollment was at risk, and never informed that missing a single event could result in severe consequences.

After the high school volleyball season concluded, our daughter began participating in club volleyball. This was known to cheer staff and athletic leadership. She was not a member of the cheer competition team and did not hold a central role in game performances. Her participation remained consistent with the understanding established at enrollment.

That changed abruptly in December.

On a Thursday morning, before school, our daughter informed her cheer coach of a one-time conflict: a Saturday afternoon club volleyball tournament. This would require her to miss a single basketball game during an eleven-month cheer season, during which she was scheduled to assist with passing out candy canes as one of three students. Immediately following this notification, the tone shifted. Her commitment was questioned, and she became visibly distressed, crying before the school day began.

Later that same day—before any administrative meeting occurred—our daughter was pulled into a classroom by her cheer coach, Lisa Walker, with another staff member present. During this interaction, she repeatedly asked to leave and requested that a parent be present. She reports that she was not permitted to leave for approximately ten minutes and exited the classroom visibly distressed.

Following this incident, her emotional and physical condition deteriorated rapidly. Over the next two days, she cried uncontrollably, was unable to sleep, and began vomiting. Despite this, she attended school on Friday and completed her final exams.

A meeting with the principal occurred Friday morning, during which concerns regarding the classroom interaction and the coach’s conduct were raised. At that meeting, we were told a decision would be made regarding whether our daughter could miss the Saturday game and remain on the cheer team.

The following morning (Saturday), we received an email stating that she must choose between cheer and volleyball. Upon receiving this message, her condition worsened significantly. She began vomiting again—eventually vomiting blood—and was taken to urgent care. She was evaluated, prescribed medication, and instructed to rest and avoid athletic activity. The school was notified, and medical documentation was provided.

That same day, our daughter resigned from the cheer team. She did so respectfully and transparently after being told there was no flexibility to miss a single event over an eleven-month schedule. She did not attempt to remain on the team while missing obligations. She stepped away entirely to avoid conflict or disruption.

After rest and medical treatment, she briefly participated in her volleyball tournament in a limited capacity.

Early the next morning—before church services—we received an email stating that our daughter would not be permitted to return to school. No misconduct by her was cited. No policy violation was identified. No restorative or transitional options were offered. The message included a reprimand from Principal Jason Mitchell alleging dishonesty by our family and instructing us to “reflect on our behavior” to prevent this from happening at our daughter’s next school.

In the days that followed, we were informed by Mr. Mitchell that he had arranged for someone to locate, observe, and record our daughter at the off-campus volleyball tournament, and that this observation factored into the decision to remove her from school. No one asked whether she participated—we would have answered honestly that she did. No one asked about her medical condition, her limitations, or her well-being. No one requested to speak with her directly. No one asked to review the available audio from the classroom incident in which she repeatedly asked to leave and to have a parent present.

Instead, she was removed from the school where she held a 4.4 GPA and ranked among the top five students in her class.

Our daughter learned she would not be returning to school only after we returned from Christmas break. All appeals to Mr. Mitchell, Mr. Schoenleb, and the NVCA Board of Directors were declined or ignored, rather than addressed through a careful, private, or student-centered process. During this time, information about her enrollment status was shared by a staff member—who is also a parent—with another student, and subsequently spread among the student body before our daughter had the opportunity to inform her closest friends herself. She was denied the dignity of telling her own story.

This was compounded by statements made to the cheer team that our daughter had been removed for lack of commitment—an assertion that was inaccurate but consistent with the narrative used to justify the decision.

At no point—before or after her removal—was our daughter accused of dishonesty, disrespect, misconduct, or violation of school rules. Yet she alone bore the consequences of decisions made quickly, without her voice, and without meaningful review.

We are sharing this account publicly not to inflame conflict, but because our daughter did nothing wrong—and because what happened to her should matter, and should never happen to another student.