Response to Crescent Hill Baptist Church Decision

Yesterday, the congregation at Crescent Hill Baptist Church (CHBC), which has leased space to Highlands Latin School (HLS) for two decades, voted 82-2 with 5 abstained, in favor of not renewing the current lease which will end in May 2026.

We at Reviving Hope, an online organization consisting of former students from HLS, were deeply appreciative and even moved to a few tears by the initial response by CHBC to the allegations raised in the Courier-Journal’s multi-part series “The Cost of Empire.”

We are grateful for the church leadership at CHBC meeting with Highlands Latin School and advocating on behalf of the former students who had shared about being abused, mistreated, and discriminated against, asking HLS what it intended to do to address the allegations. We are disappointed to hear that Highlands Latin School indicated that they intend to do nothing.

As of now, no one from HLS has responded to the public statement we released three months ago in which we offered to work with HLS to select and fundraise for a qualified, third-party firm to perform an independent assessment to look into the allegations of abuse, mistreatment, and discrimination, and to publicly release the results of this assessment. We again call on Highlands Latin School to work with us on this matter, as protecting the safety and well-being of children is paramount and one of Christ’s highest calls for his followers. While HLS has not acknowledged the allegations, we are thankful for the CHBC congregation taking a stance in support of protecting children. CHBC has shown the Christian virtues of love and integrity.

For those of us who had the pleasure of spending time in the space Crescent Hill Baptist Church leased to Highlands Latin School, we recall fondly the beautiful campus in which we had our classes and meals, and the beautiful sanctuary in which we performed in the Christmas Cantata and Good Friday Service, and where we attended our opening and closing school ceremonies. The church is a beautiful space and our hope is to see their tenants do beautiful deeds within it, not harmful ones.

To former students and parents, we are here for you. Please feel free to reach out to us via our contact page or through social media, whether to share your story or to find support and resources for healing.

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