Student expelled from university after being caught watching ‘Glee’ [video]

By John Thrasher (@jthrasher) at 7:02 pm, April 26, 2012

File this in the crazy but true category. A student at Bob Jones University, a Christian school in South Carolina, has been expelled after he was caught watching Glee!

Chris Peterman, a week from graduation, is now going to have to fight for his degree after watching an episode of Glee.

Watch the report, via Peterman’s local news, about the entire fiasco!

Wow. That’s a little harsh. What are your thoughts on the student getting expelled?

View the latest articles in: Glee

http://hypable.com John Thrasher

This is insane. If i’m Ryan Murphy I’d give this guy a role on Glee!
- http://www.youtube.com/user/SirDorkusProductions Dillon
  
  I can only hope Ryan can see this and see how passionate the fans are about the show.
  - http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=531808242 Courtney Gibson
    
    I don’t know if you can go so far as to say passionate. There are people out there who would do way more outrageous things to show their passion for glee. Watching it when you arnt supposed to because you go to a Christian school isn’t that huge. It’s just incredibly stupid for the people of the school to expell him over a television show.
    - http://www.youtube.com/user/SirDorkusProductions Dillon
      
      Yeah. I understand. It’s just so stupid.
    - rdh014
      
      Hey said very clearly that he went that school because of its high moral standards. He slipped up, and it just sucks that it happened right before graduation. I hope he gets his appeal.
http://www.youtube.com/user/SirDorkusProductions Dillon

This is bullcrap.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Andrew-Kinkead/759877420 Andrew Kinkead

Thats ridiclious! OFF CAMPUS!? since when does a campus control something you do off campus??
Laura

I can only shake my head at this. Despite progress, crap like this continues to happen.
Neha

Well I guess I’d be fired a long-ass time ago for watching Gossip Girl and True Blood and Bollywood….
- Neha
  
  expelled…wow, I need Coffee.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Steve-Hall/100000084323434 Steve Hall

What has this world come to? Unbelievable!
http://www.facebook.com/amber.carney3 Amber Carney

That school is strict! But really…off campus? That makes no sense at all. Yeah, Glee does question faith sometimes, but there is usually a (somewhat) morally straight character to straighten things out, like on Tuesday’s episode, Sam was way wrong about the Bible, but Quinn and Joe kind of evened it out since she told him she wouldn’t take his faith and moral values away from him…so yeah, this is harsh.
- Bridget
  
  I agree. and about the sam thing i was so mad he said that. “I believe in everything the bible says except for one thing because men just cannot control their impulses” well thats not really what he said, but basically it’s what he said.
  - rdh014
    
    So much agreeing! That annoyed me to no end.
  - http://www.facebook.com/amber.carney3 Amber Carney
    
    Yeah it was insane…he basically said “The Bible is too hard for teenagers to follow what it says, so they should just rewrite it. uhhmmmmm…no
Mairead Nguyen

well, now we know where santorum went to school.
- Chaz
  
  That made my day.
  - Mairead Nguyen
    
    :)
anonymous

WHAT A CRAP SCHOOL
Glaciusx

Excuse me?! He was OFF CAMPUS. He can do whatever the hell he wants! Ugh….this story is just completely unbelievable.
emily

I don’t really pity him. He chose the school. Most students who enroll in BJU know what kind of school it is and should expect things like that.
- Guest
  
  i agree. if you know the rules and enrolled to the school anyway, you should follow them or suffer the consequences. end of story. no pity or outrage from me
  - http://www.facebook.com/people/Joey-Mangum/1820064015 Joey Mangum
    
    It was off campus… You shouldn’t be allowed as a school to enforce your rules off campus.
    - Hp-Glee-Hunger-Games-Fan
      
      It’s actually not that unusual. Even non-religious private school are becoming stricter about what students do outside of school. I know students in middle and high schools who have been suspended for cyberbullying on facebook at home, and posts on myspace, facebook, twitter, etc. that the schools deem “inappropriate.” I haven’t heard of schools banning students from certain books, tv, movies, and music, though. That’s kind of harsh.
    - http://www.hypable.com/author/lauracristiano/ LauraBC
      
      True except that he signed a contract stating they could. Many schools will hold you accountable (via the enrollment contract) for what you do off campus that could reflect badly upon the school. Not saying I agree w/ BJU, but contract law is contract law and if you’re dumb enough to sign it and break the rules you agreed to…
- Chaz
  
  I agree. However, it is pretty low for the University to expel him a week or so before graduation. I mean, thats literally 14 days at max. I’d hope people give BJU a second thought so it could be financially hurt. Whatever the guy does in private is his buisness… I really wonder how the school found out about this. 1984!!! :0
http://twitter.com/mwdickens2013 Mary Warren Dickens

Bob Jones University? What the hell kind of name is that?
I love Naya Rivera

Je trouve ça un peux abuser.Oui GLEE aborde des sujet peux chrétien mais cette série aide beaucoup de personne a se sentir mieux dans leur peau.Je trouve que c’est une série superbe.
- rdh014
  
  You French it up gurl.
Animegoth12

he’s in college, who cares what he watches.
Emma

They’re making it seem like the only reason he was expelled was because he was watching Glee, but it shows that there were other things too…
sarahd15

Simply insane.
http://www.facebook.com/iDomi Domi Ed

WWe really need a ‘share’ button. I don’t particularly like to ‘like’ stuff like this…
Andrea

Yeah, he was OFF CAMPUS! What the heck?! I’m sorry but you know what this is why religious schools get so much backlash. Because they come up with these ridiculous rules to enforce their “moral standards.”
- rdh014
  
  It is not ridiculous. He knew what school he was enrolling into. There is nothing wrong with a private school setting up standards for their students. They pay the extra money. SO many schools are like that. Not as many to that extreme but still. You can get expelled from Baylor if you are caught drinking.
  - http://www.facebook.com/people/Joey-Mangum/1820064015 Joey Mangum
    
    That is preposterous! What I do off campus as a free person should not be judged by the members of the school if I didn’t do it ON CAMPUS…
  - Alazear2
    
    theres a difference between getting expelled for drinking at Baylor and getting exposed for wtaching a tv show (off campus). Baylors rule make sense since at least a decent portion of their population is probably underage.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Maria-Wang/542480760 Maria Wang

I wonder if they would expel people for reading Harry Potter or Twilight, or googling the word homosexual
rdh014

I’m not surprised at all. A lot of private schools have rules like that. Doesn’t make Christians evil… I know several who choose not to watch it because they don’t agree with a lot of the content. I (as a non-denominational Christian) even got a little insulted and annoyed at this past weeks episode. Private schools can and do make rules like that ALL the time. He obviously knows that, and still chose to go to that school. I hope he gets his appeal, it is way to close to graduation to have it taken away.
Jael

This is pure and utter madness. If this was an on campus incident where it’s stated in the rules that you can’t watch anything that goes against the school’s values, understandable if it’s under a housing contract (for instance, my school prohibits students keeping weapons on campus, so I have to keep my archery equipment at a friends house for the time being). But off campus, that is just going too far.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1840730980 Michael Vartanian

Why would you go to such a crazy school in the first place??
http://twitter.com/glasswatar Suri Meipapilionis

There is more going on with this… There seems to be a lot more going on, I don’t think they presented the whole story, like media never does…

I can understand this. There is a standard for Christianity that Christians are held accountable to. Glee has a lot of content that does not match up with Christianity. And in some cases, there are certain people who can’t handle watching the show because of it. But ultimately it is up to the viewers discretion and it is up to the Christian viewer’s walk with God that dictates what is okay to watch.

I do hope he gets his appeal, because that seems like a harsh reason for not allowing him to get his degree. Unless there is something else going on. But, I hope that he can take into account this experience. Even if he did nothing wrong, why would a christian school say something like this? Just because they are closed-minded and ignorant and intolerant people? No, I don’t think so. They have a standard that they have to keep to, which is ultimately to their book, the Bible. He signed a covenant, a contract entering into the school to keep that covenant. If he broke that covenant, they have every right to withhold his degree. If this is what it has come to, I hope he can look at himself to see if their is a fault so as to avoid situations like this in the future.

Also, don’t make it out that ALL Christians and christian schools are like this. Talk about stereotype and intolerance. Christianity and people who love God are not the only people who can judge and be closed-minded…
- http://www.facebook.com/people/Joey-Mangum/1820064015 Joey Mangum
  
  I doubt that it was in the covenant that he couldn’t watch Glee… I just hate that… This is why I stay away from organized religion… You can never be entirely sure about who’s crazy and who’s not…
  - Daughter of Eve
    
    organised religion like that in South Carolina for sure is NOT what Christianity is about. I’m a Catholic and I’ve never been told not to read Potter or even Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code and reading either books did not make me less religious or a Satan worshipper.
    
    So best to stay away from organised religion in South Carolina, it’s much more relaxed and respectful where people have brain cells used to think.
  - http://twitter.com/glasswatar Suri Meipapilionis
    
    I doubt it said that too, specifically. Like I said, I just think that there is more to this story.
hpatdh33

I went to a christian high school, we weren’t allowed to read Harry potter. I graduated now, but I’m sure my old school has a problem with glee.
- http://www.facebook.com/people/Joey-Mangum/1820064015 Joey Mangum
  
  I can’t believe that schools like that think that they have control over what their students do in their free time! It’s so repulsive!
  - hpatdh33
    
    Haha yeah, we had to sign a contract at the beginning that let them into our private lives. We could get expelled if we had a bad song on myspace or a bad post on Facebook. I didn’t realize how much control they had until i graduated. Now i am glad I’m out of there.
http://twitter.com/emilyecstasyTM Emily Cyr

What the actual f***.
- http://twitter.com/noah_ott Noah Otten
  
  Oh my gosh you beat me to it xD
Jessica

I’m familiar with the school. They have a lot (A LOT) of inane and absurd rules that stem from religious ideals. If you look at their site, it has other crazy things about dress code, PDA, music, entertainment, and behavior. The thing is though, it’s a private school and they’re within their right to implement such rules however crazy. And by going to that school, this student to agreed to follow them. I mean, yeah it sucks, but he knew that going in as he said, wanted these rules. I feel absolutely horrible for him, and I hope he’s able to graduate, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the school is being extra subjective with their punishments after his demonstration, which is completely wrong no matter what policy a school has.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Joey-Mangum/1820064015 Joey Mangum

List of things that would get me expelled from this school if I wasn’t already a closeted Atheist:
Glee
Harry Potter
True Blood
The Secret Circle
Charmed
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
Rupaul’s Drag Race/ Drag U
Loving Lady Gaga
Project Runway
Elton John
Queen
Rocky Horror Picture Show
My own personal love of fantasy, mythology, and the occult…

I’m just gonna stop here… I could go on forever…
- http://twitter.com/acjub CK
  
  Damn, I wouldn’t even be able to get in XD
- http://twitter.com/BrandiTiana Brandi Delhagen
  
  Especially ROCKY HORROR lol! Yep, I’m doomed as well. Too bad for them :)
Isistelle

I think he DESERVES to get his degree because he watched Glee !
http://twitter.com/noah_ott Noah Otten

It seems like being a part of society in general would get you expelled from this school. Yikes.
Anya

Theres a lot to this little news clip that doesn’t seem to add up. But mostly this whole things just comes off as an embarrassment to Bob Jones University that they feel like they have to so closely monitor everything their students are doing and then expelling someone for something so harmless when they were not even on campus, its just ridiculous. I go to a christian college where, thankfully, the administration trusts its students enough to make their own decisions, and thinks highly enough of their students to recognize they are capable of making their own decisions about morality.
LilyLuna

That’s completely ridiculous. I understand that he’s agreed to certain conservative and strict rules when he enrolled to that College, but umless those rules specify the school’s right to pass judgement on what he does OFF-CAMPUS, then he is not in the wrong. I do hope he is able to graduate, this is absolutely unfair.
Hp-Glee-Hunger-Games-Fan

This is unfortunate, but not surprising. Even non-religious private schools are having students suspended for posts on myspace, facebook, twitter, google+, etc. that the schools deem “inapropriate.” I was not familiar with schools prohibiting tv, music, books, etc, but again, I’m not suprised. Also, many conservative Christians are against Glee. I have a friend who is a very conservative, observant Catholic and who completely condemns the show for its messages about teen dating, homosexuality, etc. Lastly, I feel bad for the guy and hope he can get his degree, but he knew what he was signing up for, and he slipped up. It sounds like this wasn’t the only thing, though-more like the straw that broke the camel’s back.
- MJW
  
  just know that most Christians aren’t like this…
  - Hp-Glee-Hunger-Games-Fan
    
    Oh of course not! There are plenty of Christians who are very open and accepting. I was just saying how I wasn’t surprised about this university’s rules because of people I knew with similar ideas.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_VCJSDSEDKYOBEKWGIXCDB2QPYA Henry

thats why Glees ratings are going down!!! Alot of churches are calling Glee “the devil”
Amelia

wtf. what he does in his free time is none of their business. >.<
http://www.facebook.com/Panhead1922 Ande Anderson

I go to a private Christian College and I think that’s just ridiculous. Some professors watch Glee, and so do I. While I don’t agree with many of the things on Glee, it’s nothing to get expelled over.
- 7Starrchasers
  
  couldn’t have said it better!
Jess

I go to a private Christian college and they would never expel someone for watching Glee. When the show first came out, they would actually have viewing parties in our student union on the massive tv in there.

I know people who went to Bob Jones and I know how strict it is. Bu this is ridiculous that they would expel him for watching this off campus. I would love to here if there was more reasons than just watching Glee that got him expelled.
http://about.me/dshana Shana Debusschere

Wow, I literally can’t imagine this.
Mad

That is ridiculous!
hannah

I wish some people could just stop playing God.
Cass

THAT IS SO UNFAIR! what the hell??
http://twitter.com/Snapescape Laura Cain

This is ridiculous.
Kay

I went to a private, Catholic college where we had a theatre program. Needless to say, half my school is Glee fans, myself included. :)
http://twitter.com/Red_Fiasco Cris

Funny how the Hypable headline neglects to mention the protest that might possibly have had something to do with his expulsion. Just because he said it was due to watching Glee does not mean it necessarily was. I found this report a bit one-sided to be honest; another example of the media pouncing on a story and ramping it up.
Master_Regulus

I’m a christian and I go to a christian college, I just want to make sure people know that this is not reflective of the majority of the christian faith. Even in christian circles, Bob Jones University is know as being extraordinarily strict. (When I saw the headline, I immediately thought “he probably went to Bob Jones”)
shieldjinx36

Personally, I don’t think him watching Glee is the reason he was expelled, but this specific “offense” is being exaggerated by the student because if he campaigns it correctly he could graduate and possibly get a settlement form the university. Not that I support the rules made by the university, but when you agree to certain rules and terms, you either have to campaign against them BEFORE you break these rules, or accept the consequences when you break said rules.
Prettyfairy1996

Not all Christians are like this….i promise…
Bob

Does anyone else think the women’s voice sounds stupid?
Jessie

I hope everyone knows that not all Christian schools or Christians are like this. I go to a conservative Lutheran University and we have Glee viewing parties in our student lounge. We don’t have to sign anything either, because our school believes that we need to make our own decisions (because we are adults), and accept the consequences later if we really mess up. I understand that some schools don’t want their reputation ruined by individuals who are acting outside of school or religious rules, but Glee? Really? Don’t they have worse things to go after?
- Grace
  
  I also go to a private Christian college and watch Glee every week in the common area of my dorm, and I know there’s people that watch way worse things than that. The most our college has is a dry and smoke-free campus (something that many people on the campus actually like); people are allowed to watch whatever they want whenever they want. I don’t understand why this college is so strict…
Paul

University campuses like this can make up rules how they see fit; just don’t call those rules progressive, nor a means to prepare youth for the world. Another example on how religion breeds conformity and suppressed freedom of expression.
“The moment you declare a set of ideas to be immune from criticism, satire, derision, or contempt, freedom of thought becomes impossible.”
Salman Rushdie
whale_lover

Harsh. What’s so bad about Glee?

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Student expelled from university after being caught watching ‘Glee’ [video]

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