A Florida Christian school administrator has received death threats after saying students only would be referred to by their sex assigned at birth, and LGBTQ pupils will be asked to leave.
Barry McKeen, administrator for Grace Christian School told parents in a June 6 email that, "We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, transgender identity/lifestyle, self-identification, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery and pornography are sinful in the sight of God and the church," the Daily Mail reported.
McKeen then received death threats after NBC News quoted his email on the policy at the school located in Valrico, Florida, around 20 miles outside of Tampa.
"We have had these policies in our school since Day No. 1 in the early 1970s. This is not new," McKeen said in a video posted on the school's Facebook page. "It's also true … Grace Christian is one of many, many schools in the state of Florida that are Christian schools, and almost every Christian school has such a policy.
"Why we were chosen for this experience, I do not know. It's not something I shrink from. We weren't looking for attention, but I'm also not going to cower from it, and I'm not going to backpedal."
McKeen said that Grace Christian is a private school that's "not for everybody."
He added that no students have been kicked out from the school over their sexual orientation, though the administration came to an agreement with one family that their student would change schools.
"We're not going to be hateful, but we're not going to back down from this policy," McKeen said in the video.
"I don't answer to local newspapers. I don't answer to bloggers and TikTokers. I answer to God."
A mother of a student at the school anonymously told NBC News that she had decided to take her lesbian daughter out of the school after McKeen's June email circulated.
"She was scared she was gonna open her mouth and expose herself ... but she's not scared anymore," the mom told WFLA of her daughter.
"I actually respect their opinion, but my daughter's well-being, right, and mental health is more important."
The woman said all of her children had attended Grace Christian.
"From what I read it is not a new policy, but that was the first time I was made aware of that policy," the mom said.
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