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Florida Christian school warns parents all LGBTQ students 'will be asked to leave immediately'
Citing the Book of Leviticus a Florida K-12 private Christian school is telling parents any student found to be LGBTQ will be asked to leave "immediately."
NBC News reports it "obtained an email from the Grace Christian School in Valrico, about 20 miles east of Tampa, sent before the beginning of the school year by Administrator Barry McKeen."
The school's email lumps being LGBTQ, or engaging in acts including "bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery and pornography" as "lifestyles."
"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 (Genesis 2:24; Leviticus 18:1-30; Romans 1:26-29; I Corinthians 5:1; I Corinthians 6:9; I Thessalonians 4:2-7)," the email reads. "Students who are found participating in these lifestyles will be asked to leave the school immediately,"
NBC News says the "June 6 correspondence to parents cited scripture and said that students will be referred to by the 'gender on their birth certificates' during the school year beginning this month. While the email refers to 'biological gender,' the National Institute of Health defines 'gender' as a social construct, as opposed to 'sex,' which is the biological difference between females and males."
On its website Grace Christian says annual fees are up to $6595, plus items including books and other fees.
"It is our desire to provide the best Christian education and training for ALL children, for God is not a respecter of persons," Grace Christian says. It calls "humanism, materialism, secularism, and New Age" philosophies "godless."
The school's website also says, "Students are only admitted when the administration believes that the parents and their church are in full support of the purposes and policies of the School. Expressions of dissention or lack of support for the School’s mission, policies, or leadership are grounds for dismissal of any students of a family in which such action occurs."
"ALL STUDENTS are expected to abide by rules set forth by the administration. Attendance at Grace Christian School is considered a privilege and not a right. Students forfeit this privilege if they do not conform to the standards and ideals set forth by the administration. The school may insist on the withdrawal of any student that, in the opinion of the administration, does not conform to the spirit of the ministry."
Labor advocates on Thursday cheered a U.S. federal judge's order compelling Starbucks to reinstate seven employees who were illegally fired from their Memphis store earlier this year for leading a unionization campaign.
"We hope this ruling brings comfort to our partners in the Memphis area and shows them the power they can have in a union."
U.S. District Judge Sheryl Lipman ordered Starbucks to rehire the so-called "Memphis Seven" within five days, writing that their firing "supports an inference of discriminatory motive" by the Seattle-based coffee giant. In May, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) filed a motion to reinstate the workers, accusing Starbucks of directing "a wide variety of coercive measures" in its union-busting bid.
The seven workers at Starbucks' Poplar and Highland location were terminated in February during the early months of what has become a nationwide unionization wave in which employees at more than 200 of the company's stores have now voted to form unions.
While Starbucks officials claimed the seven were fired for violations including allowing at least one reporter inside the store to conduct an after-hours interview, the group accused the company of retaliating against the workers for organizing. In June, Poplar and Highland employees voted overwhelmingly to form a union.
"Today's federal court decision ordering Starbucks to reinstate the seven unlawfully fired Starbucks workers in Memphis is a crucial step in ensuring that these workers, and all Starbucks workers, can freely exercise their right to join together to improve their working conditions and form a union," NLRB General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo said in a statement following the ruling.
"Starbucks, and other employers, should take note that the NLRB will continue to vigorously protect workers' right to organize without interference from their employer," she added.
Members of the Memphis Seven celebrated the ruling, with Nabretta Hardin saying in a statement that "we're beyond thankful the federal court ruled in our favor, and this just goes to show that Starbucks will do everything in their power to silence us."
"Memphis is a union town. We remain the only store to have organized in Memphis for fear of workers being fired like we were," she continued. "We hope this ruling brings comfort to our partners in the Memphis area and shows them the power they can have in a union."
"There is no need to fear retaliation because the NLRB will protect them as they have protected us," Hardin added.
Nikki Taylor, another member of the group, said following the decision that "it was a ruling in favor of what's right. We knew from day one that we were going to win this, it just took time."
Beto Sanchez, also of the Memphis Seven, told the Memphis Commercial Appeal that "it still feels unreal right now, but it took a moment for me to process all the work that we've done for the past months, they finally met its resolution."
"I still have a lot of tears right now," added Sanchez, "but honestly it's such a great feeling."
'The candidates suck!' Morning Joe mocks Trump for screwing over Mitch McConnell once again
MSNBC's Joe Scarborough blamed Donald Trump for wrecking Republican chances for taking back the Senate majority.
Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell knocked the "quality" of candidates endorsed by the former president and chosen by GOP primary voters, saying they appeared unlikely to win, and the "Morning Joe" host said they would likely prevent Republicans from gaining legislative majorities.
"I don't understand," he said. "Mitch McConnell, we're going to play these illuminating thoughts by Mitch. He's saying the truth out loud. 'Hey, we may not take the Senate back over. We should, but we may not because the candidates suck.' He didn't say it that way, but the candidates that Donald Trump has put up there suck."
GOP senators were making things worse for themselves by attacking the FBI and IRS to defend the former president against a variety of criminal investigations, Scarborough said.
"Now, he's got his most senior members going around, saying things that could get government workers killed, and the people that keep apologizing for the terrorists on Jan. 6, people he thinks are terrorists," Scarborough said. "I mean, his speech on Jan. 6 and his actions on Jan. 6, very notable, but it is having an impact. This is what I don't understand. I'll say it again, Trump lost the White House, he lost the House, went out of his way, did the yeoman's work to lose the Senate for Republicans -- first guy since Herbert Hoover to lose all three in one four-year term. It's happening again."
Watch the video below or at this link.
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