A Florida couple who donated $1.3 million to Academy of the Holy Names Catholic School in Tampa, Florida have decided to rescind their donation. They've also sued for damages and returned tuition after a claim the school was becoming too "woke."
Anthony and Barbara Scarpo, who donated the money in 2017 and subsequently had the school's theater named after them, are now demanding their money back after the Catholic school reportedly taught its students how to be good LGBTQ+ allies.
The lawsuit, filed in Hillsborough County Circuit Court, claims the school "acted fraudulently" by masquerading as a Catholic school and asking for money from parents while secretly straying from their Catholic agenda.
The lawsuit directly references "zeal to embrace the politically correct 'woke' culture currently in vogue … where gender identity, human sexuality, pregnancy termination among other 'hot button' issues took center stage."
The couple also accused the school of "indoctrinat[ing] its students, requiring that they 'check their white privilege' and feel sufficiently guilty merely because of the color of their skin and because their parents could afford their attendance at the academy."
The school issued a letter in response to the lawsuit:
"Rejecting the racism and hatred reflected in the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd and Breonna Taylor … it is imperative we have conversations that are uncomfortable, learn from them, reconcile and grow."
The school added they will "continue to pray for all parties involved, and, if necessary, we are prepared to defend ourselves in court."
Despite having pledged $1.3 million, the Scarpos have produced only about $240,000 of the pledged amount.
The school is considering filing a countersuit.
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