A California high school recently banned the sale of Chick-fil-A due to their stance on gay rights and marriage equality.
The school banned the football booster club from selling Chick-fil-A food during a school event. Val Wyatt, the principal of Ventura High School, said the move was a response to what many see as the company’s anti-gay rights stance, publicized during a 2012 interview Chick-fil-A CEO did with the Baptist Press. Day publicly stated he supported the “the biblical definition of the family unit.”
“We value inclusivity and diversity on our campus and all of our events and activities are going to adhere to our mission,” Wyatt said. “With their political stance on gay rights and because the students of Ventura High School and their parents would be at the event, I didn’t want them on campus.” Via the Franchise Herald:
The local Chick-Fil-A franchise owner Robert Shaffer vowed to donate 2000 sandwiches to the football club for the back-to-school event. The store has a long history of support for the school, and they expected to raise at least $21,000 during the fundraising event. The football team’s coach said the money can buy the team’s uniforms and food for the boys since they do not charge the players to be part of the football team.
The principal broke the news a few days before the event that they won’t allow the selling of Chick-Fil-A sandwiches in the back-to-school night.
“We treat everyone who walks through our doors, regardless of their religion or sexual orientation, with honor, dignity and respect,” said franchise owner Shaffer.
The school also has support from the Ventura Unified School District’s superintendent, who also agrees with the decision. CBS interviewed some students who disagreed with the ban and some who see it as important move.
“There are gay kids that go to our school, and for them it might be kind of weird,” said Ventura High School student Graham Wallace.
Chick-fil-A isn’t banned from donating altogether, however. Supporters will continue to sell tickets to meals off of campus during non-school events, CBS reports. (Why do I have the feeling this will probably lead to lots of people angry about the banning buying up tons of these tickets to Chick-fil-A, just to spite the people behind the decision to kick them out of the school?)
Image via Getty.
