At 14, Caleb Degala-Burnett has a rocket arm, a college-level baseball future, and the kind of confidence that makes coaches text things like: “We really want him to be a part of a great school.”
That school was Valley Christian in Dublin — a $24,000-a-year private school that, until recently, seemed ready to roll out the red carpet. Caleb was being recruited to play varsity baseball as a freshman, after lighting up a scout showcase as the fastest-throwing outfielder in the Class of 2029. Perfect Game, a top-tier scouting site, called him a college prospect and potential pro.
So yeah, he’s that good.
His family was in deep talks with school leaders. Financial aid, class schedules, team expectations — the works. But then came a phone call that dropped like a bad pitch.
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“He said, ‘You being a family of same-sex marriage doesn’t align with our Christian values,’” Caleb’s dad, Mike Degala, recalled. “‘We would lose supporters, and it doesn’t align with the mission of the school.’”
In a single sentence, years of parenting, faith, and talent were reduced to a line item on someone else’s moral checklist.
“I felt angry about it,” Caleb said. “It really shouldn’t matter what your family is. It should matter about the student and how they are as a person.”
Discrimination, But Make It Legal
Under federal law, private schools can’t discriminate based on race, color, or national origin. But LGBTQ+ families? There’s no federal protection. Religious schools can — and do — reject students based on their identity or family structure.
It may be legal. But as Jorge Reyes Salinas of Equality California put it, “It’s not morally right.”
And Valley Christian isn’t alone. When The Standard contacted ten top-ranked Bay Area Christian schools about whether they welcome LGBTQ+ families, only one responded affirmatively: Mountain View Academy. The rest? Crickets.
Some schools, like Redwood Christian and The King’s Academy, are open in their anti-LGBTQ+ stances. Redwood’s handbook lumps “homosexual behavior” with incest and bestiality. The King’s Academy explicitly defines marriage as “one man and one woman.”
Meanwhile, Valley Christian — the Dublin school, not the one in San Jose — said nothing publicly, then quietly shut the door on Caleb.
Faith, Not Fear
Ironically, Caleb wants to learn about Christianity. He’s been curious about what happens when we die, what faith really means, and whether heaven has a box score. His dads — Mike Degala and Master Burnett — aren’t religious, but they’ve supported his curiosity.
“I just want to learn more about it,” Caleb said of Christianity. “This is just one little setback.”
His dad Master, a former Southern Baptist raised by missionaries, wasn’t surprised. Just disappointed.
“I don’t consider discrimination a Christian value,” he said. “I call it being a ‘Sunday Christian.’ We’re all open and inclusive on Sundays, but the other 313 days of the year, we’re judgmental bigots.”
Still, they’re not bitter. They’ve moved on. Caleb will attend James Logan High School this fall, a public school in Union City where no one cares who his parents are — only how fast he can gun a ball from right field to home plate.
And yes, skipping a $24,000 tuition bill? Not the worst consolation prize.
“It’s their loss,” Mike said.
The Bigger Picture
Caleb’s story is more than a family feud with a private school. It’s a glimpse into how quietly — and legally — queer families can still be excluded in 2025. It’s also a reminder of what’s at stake: Not just acceptance, but the kind of future where queer kids — and the kids of queer parents — don’t have to choose between their identity and their dreams.
Because in the end, it wasn’t the baseball field that failed Caleb. It was the people in the dugout.
And that’s okay. He’ll find a better team.
He already has.
Source: The San Francisco Standard
The message here is go to a normal school where you are loved and accepted for who you are, not the abnormal, perverse one where you are despised for those who love you.