Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Dozens Of Students Walk Out To Protest Christian School Forcing Coach To Resign For Being Gay

Dozens Of Students Walk Out To Protest Christian School Forcing Coach To Resign For Being Gay
Hyoung Chang/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images

A walk-out occurred yesterday at a Colorado Christian high school that recently made national headlines when its volleyball coach said he was forced by senior school officials to resign after they found out he was gay.

Around 50 students at Valor Christian High School in Denver staged the walk-out yesterday afternoon, pledging their support for the coach, Inoke Tonga, and excoriating their school for using Christianity as a basis to ostracize LGBTQ staff and students.


Footage of the walk-out can be seen below.

High School Students Walk Out Of Class To Protest Valor Christian Coach's Dismissal Over Sexual Orieyoutu.be

Students at the walk-out were deeply angered by the school's actions.

Speaking to CBS Denver, sixteen-year-old Lucy Sarkissian, who helped organize the protest, was furious with what she called her school administrators' "disgusting" conduct, and said she was angry on behalf of not just Tonga, but every LGBTQ student at Valor High.

"[It] broke my heart. To hear that they called him a danger to the school, I knew that for every queer teen who's sitting at the school right now to hear they were a danger breaks their heart."

The conflict at Valor Christian High School first made international headlines when Tonga went public about his resignation in a lengthy Facebook post that paints a bracing picture of the way he was treated by school staff and administrators.

What Tonga described hues more closely to a scolding than a meeting.

"I sat in that room for an hour and a half being belittled by men who knew nothing about who I am, what I've done in life, what obstacles I've overcome, the understanding I have of the living scriptures, and more importantly the love I have for my saviour and lord, God."

Shortly after Tonga's story broke, another former employee of the school, lacrosse coach Lauren Benner, came forward about her own experience being pushed out of her job because administrators found out she is a lesbian. She described the meeting that ensued as "shocking" and said she was "bombarded with ignorant and irrelevant statements."

LGBTQ students have not been spared the Valor administration's judgment either. A trans student at the school told CBS Denver that he, too, was pulled into a private meeting similar to Tonga's in which he was told he would "have to present as female" if he wished to remain at the school.

On social media, many people were firmly on the Valor students' side, and were outraged by the school's treatment of Tonga and its other LGBTQ staff and students.











Despite the uproar, the school has remained firm in its stance, saying in a statement that Tonga had "misrepresented" the situation and that "separation is appropriate" because his "beliefs pertaining to sexuality and marriage" run counter to the school's.

More from News/lgbtq

Donald Trump; Superman (2025) poster
Joe Raedle/Getty Images; Warner Bros. Pictures

White House Blasted After Portraying Trump As Superman In Bonkers Poster Mock-up

The White House was mercilessly mocked online after it posted a revised poster for the latest Superman film that features President Donald Trump as the Man of Steel.

The latest big screen adaptation of the famed superhero comic, Superman, was directed by James Gunn and stars David Corenswet as the titular superhero, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor. The film has received positive reviews and has already made an estimated $2.8 million from Tuesday previews for a total $21 million, including Thursday previews.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Charlie Kirk
Real America's Voice

MAGA Influencer Charlie Kirk Called Out After Blaming DEI For High Death Toll In Texas Flooding Disaster

Turning Point USA founder and MAGA influencer Charlie Kirk was harshly criticized after he claimed the death toll in the flash floods that have devastated central Texas "would not have been as high if it wasn't for DEI," ridiculously suggesting that principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion were responsible.

Kirk's comments are reflective of President Donald Trump’s broader push to dismantle federal programs focused on diversity and inclusion—part of what he pledged in his inaugural address would be a campaign to stop attempts to “socially engineer race and gender into every aspect of public and private life.”

Keep ReadingShow less

People Reveal The Dark Secrets They Discovered About Someone After They Died

Sometimes you never know who someone is until they're gone.

Everyone has their secrets.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Jesse Watters; Hakeem Jeffries
Fox News; Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Jesse Watters Pathetically Tries To Burn Hakeem Jeffries With Bizarre 'Rule For Men' Rant

Fox News personality Jesse Watters was widely mocked after he criticized House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries for having recently shared a photo of himself on Instagram that appeared to be digitally altered—with the bench he was leaning against noticeably warped around his hips.

You can see Jeffries' photo below.

Keep ReadingShow less
Snoop Dogg
Christopher Polk/Billboard via Getty Images

Snoop Dogg's Puppy Instagram Breaks Internet

Snoop Dogg introduced his fans to the newest little bow-wow in his household, a puppy named Baby Boy Broadus.

The adorable small tan French bulldog made his debut on the rapper’s Instagram account on June 28th, sporting a Louis Vuitton leash and chewing on his owner’s Death Row Jacket.

Keep ReadingShow less