BOSTON (AP) — A Roman Catholic school has withdrawn its acceptance of an eight-year-old boy with lesbian parents, saying their relationship was "in discord" with church teachings, according to one of the boys' mothers.

It's at least the second time in recent months that students have not been allowed to attend a US Catholic school because of their parents' sexual orientation, with the other instance occurring in Colorado.

The Massachusetts woman, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of concerns about the effect of publicity on her son, said she planned to send the boy to third grade at St. Paul Elementary School in Hingham in the fall.

But she said she learnt her son's acceptance was rescinded during a conference call Monday with Principal Cynthia Duggan and the parish priest, the Rev. James Rafferty.

"I'm accustomed to discrimination, I suppose, at my age and my experience as a gay woman," the mother said. "But I didn't expect it against my child."

Rafferty said her relationship "was in discord with the teachings of the Catholic Church," which holds marriage is only between a man and woman, the woman said.

She said Duggan told her teachers wouldn't be prepared to answer questions her son might have because the school's teachings about marriage conflict with what he sees in his family.

Rafferty and Duggan did not respond to requests for comment.

Terrence Donilon, a spokesman for the Boston Archdiocese, said it learnt about the school's decision late Tuesday.

He said the archdiocese is now in "consultation with the pastor and principal to gather more information."

Donilon said the archdiocese does not have a policy prohibiting the children of same-sex couples from attending its schools.

Massachusetts was the first state to legalise gay marriage, in 2004, and the Catholic Church strongly opposed the decision.

The woman, who is not married to her partner, said she didn't expect the church to approve of her relationship but didn't think it should affect her son's education.

The case mirrors a situation in Boulder, Colo., in which the Sacred Heart of Jesus school said two children of lesbian parents could not re-enroll because of their parents' sexual orientation.

The Denver Archdiocese posted a statement in support of the school's decision.

Gay rights groups later took out full-page newspaper ads in protest.

In 2004, a lesbian couple in Eugene, Oregon, filed a lawsuit against a Catholic elementary school after officials there declined to admit their daughter.

Their lawyer said the refusal violated Eugene's city code, which forbids discrimination based on sex, marital status, domestic partnership status or sexual orientation.

Meanwhile, in California some Catholic schools have allowed children of openly gay parents to enrol.

For example, in 2005 officials at St. John the Baptist School in Costa Mesa agreed to keep in the school two adopted sons of a gay couple. But the case drew an angry response from some parents and forced the school to later draw up new admission guidelines.