After declaring that they would only refer to kids by the sex assigned to them at birth and that students who identify as LGBTQ will be asked to leave, leaders of a Christian school in Florida started receiving death threats.
‘We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, transgender identity/lifestyle, self-identification, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery, and pornography is sinful in the sight of God and the church,’ wrote Barry McKeen, the administrator of Grace Christian School and community pastor, in an email to parents on June 6.
Students who are discovered engaging in such lifestyles will be asked to leave, according to the private Christian school, which is situated in Valrico about 20 miles outside of Tampa.
After news sources cited McKeen’s email on the policy, death threats were made against him and his family, causing him to increase security at the school.
In a taped statement broadcast to the school’s Facebook page, McKeen claimed that he only has to answer to God and not to “bloggers or TickTokers.”
In a taped statement, McKeen added, “We’re not going to change because god’s not going to chance.” We won’t be hateful, but we also won’t change our stance on this policy.
The annual tuition for a senior at the Christian school is up to $6,595.
He claimed that some callers made death threats against his family and others threatened to set his home on fire.
In spite of the death threats, McKeen asserted that he will not yield.
McKeen continued: “If I backed down from anything like this, I’m abandoning what God has stated is the truth.” in a Fox News interview. I try to think of something like, “How is it difficult for others to comprehend this? God declared this.”
We have a Christian school for a variety of reasons, and we won’t change this policy. On these matters, God has spoken.
After the email that went around in June made the policy apparent, one of the mothers at the school revealed to a US outlet that she had decided to remove her lesbian daughter from the school.
The mother, who wished to remain anonymous, told WFLA, “She was frightened she was going to open her lips and expose herself, right but she’s not scared now.”
The mother claimed it was the first time she had been made aware of the policy. It informed parents that they must consent to the policies before their students could begin the new school year.
Although they had reached an agreement with one family that their student would switch schools, McKeen claimed in a video statement that no pupils had been expelled from the school due to their sexual orientation.
He continued by stating that the policy was not new and questioned why his school had been singled out when hundreds of Christian schools in Florida followed the same guidelines.
He claimed that even if a student was straight, the school would still enforce its expulsion policy for engaging in sexual intercourse with another student.
He said that other people have come together in support of the school, with one man sending a $5,000 donation and a statement urging administrators to “remain strong” and “keep the faith,” according to NBC.
In the statement, he declared his agreement with the church’s view that homosexuality is a sin and that “any transgression will condemn you to damnation, which is why we need a saviour.”