{"id":586232,"date":"2021-07-08T14:05:31","date_gmt":"2021-07-08T18:05:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=586232"},"modified":"2021-07-08T14:05:34","modified_gmt":"2021-07-08T18:05:34","slug":"school-lost-its-way-to-woke-culture-couple-who-donated-1-35-million-to-catholic-school-sue-for-money-back","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/school-lost-its-way-to-woke-culture-couple-who-donated-1-35-million-to-catholic-school-sue-for-money-back\/","title":{"rendered":"School \u2018Lost Its Way\u2019 To \u2018Woke Culture\u2019: Couple Who Donated $1.35 Million To Catholic School Sue For Money Back"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">38<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fschool-lost-its-way-to-woke-culture-couple-who-donated-1-35-million-to-catholic-school-sue-for-money-back%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=586232&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Rosary-Getty-scaled-e1625762345770.jpg\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\" \/><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>A family gifted a Tampa Catholic school $1.35 million and now wants their money back, citing fraud and lack of commitment to Catholic teaching, the Tampa Bay Times reported.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Last week, the Scarpo family filed a 13-count, 45-page lawsuit for their donation to be rescinded, the Tampa Bay Times reported. They said the school has \u201clost its way\u201d by welcoming a divisive \u201cwoke culture\u201d with a focus on \u201cgender identity, human sexuality and pregnancy termination among other hot button issues,\u201d which is being seen in schools across the country.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>The lawsuit was filed in Hillsborough County Circuit Court, the Tampa Bay Times reported. The Scarpos want the academy to stop promoting itself as a Catholic institution and calls for the Florida Catholic Conference to revoke its accreditation.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>A family that gifted a Tampa Catholic school $1.35 million several years ago now wants their money back, citing fraud and lack of commitment to Catholic teaching, the Tampa Bay Times reported.<\/p>\n<p>Anthony and Barbara Scarpo gave the money to what they previously called \u201cour cherished\u201d Academy of the Holy Names at a fundraising gala in 2017, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tampabay.com\/news\/education\/2021\/07\/06\/academy-of-the-holy-names-is-too-woke-not-catholic-enough-lawsuit-says\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tampa Bay Times<\/a> reported. They&nbsp;requested their donation be used toward the school\u2019s master plan and scholarships for disadvantaged students. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2021\/06\/29\/illinois-teacher-sues-school-district-over-illegal-critical-race-theory-trainings\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">(RELATED:&nbsp;Illinois Teacher Sues School District Over \u2018Illegal\u2019 Critical Race Theory Trainings)<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The Scarpo\u2019s two daughters attended the school, but one daughter has now graduated and the other has transferred to a different high school, the Tampa Bay Times reported. The couple were originally named&nbsp;chairs of the schools fundraising campaign and the auditorium was named \u201cScarpo Family Theatre\u201d in their honor.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" readability=\"7.7090163934426\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">A lawsuit from two Tampa philanthropists claims the Academy of Holy Names has \u201cbecome woke\u201d and strayed from the Catholic education they believed they were signing up for.<a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/luyc7nIWxd\">https:\/\/t.co\/luyc7nIWxd<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Champa Bay Times (@TB_Times) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TB_Times\/status\/1412789026805932039?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 7, 2021<\/a> <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Last week, the Scarpo\u2019s filed a 13-count, 45-page lawsuit for their donation to be rescinded, the Tampa Bay Times reported.&nbsp;They said the school has \u201clost its way,\u201d with a divisive \u201cwoke culture\u201d focusing on \u201cgender identity, human sexuality and pregnancy termination among other hot button issues,\u201d which has been seen in <a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2021\/06\/17\/nbc-critical-race-theory-loudoun-county\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">schools across the country<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The lawsuit also highlights the couple\u2019s dissatisfaction with the schools handling of race issues and said students are taught to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2021\/07\/02\/critical-race-theory-racism-white-people-christopher-rufo\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">feel guilty for being white<\/a> and having money to pay for and attend the academy, the Tampa Bay Times reported. Not only does the couple want their donation returned, they also want a tuition refund for what they have already paid to be donated Catholic charities of their choosing.<\/p>\n<p>The lawsuit, filed in Hillsborough County Circuit Court, wants the academy to stop promoting itself as a Catholic institution and calls for the Florida Catholic Conference to revoke its accreditation, the Tampa Bay Times reported.<\/p>\n<p>The schools denies the claims and Tampa lawyer Gregory Hearing called the lawsuit a publicity stunt. \u201cWe can discern no motivation behind the lawsuit other than attention-seeking by your clients, and a desire by you to build a brand,\u201d Hearing said a letter to the Scarpos\u2019 lawyer Adam Levine, the Tampa Bay Times reported.<\/p>\n<p>Hearing said if the lawsuit goes forward, the school would consider filing a counter claim asking the couple to give the rest of their pledge, which may be required by Florida law, the Tampa Bay Times reported.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor a court to delve into whether the substance of matters taught by a Catholic school are consistent with a Catholic education would entangle the court in excessively religious matters, and thereby violate the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution,\u201d Hearing\u2019s letter said. \u201cThat we should need to educate you on this is absurd.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Anthony Scarpo said that many parents are angry with the schools lack of commitment to mainstream Catholicism, the Tampa Bay Times reported. According to the lawsuit, the Scarpos paid $240,000 toward their pledge as of 2018 and raised over $9 million for the school. Levine said money is not the couple\u2019s focus, but that they want the school to revert back to the ways they used to teach.<\/p>\n<p>Scarpo wrote a letter to the school when his daughter graduated criticizing the schools \u201ccontinued indoctrination of your twisted version of social and racial justice, equity, inclusion, sexuality and today\u2019s politically correct narrative has permeated like a stench through the halls of the Academy and been allowed to seep into the minds of our children, causing stress, anger, guilt and confusion.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s about being a voice for people who are not being heard,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s about the failure to deliver on a promise\u2026. This is not asking the courts to get involved in a religious issue, but this is a simple breach of contract. If you\u2019re paying for a Catholic education, that\u2019s what you should be getting\u201d the letter continued, \u201cyou were always eager to solicit our hard-earned money and take what you could but held firm as you dragged dozens if not hundreds of conservative families and teachers through your reimagined, highly progressive world, even as parents and students asked you \u2026 pleaded with you to stop, slow down.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A spokeswoman for the school, Emily Wise, told the Tampa Bay Times in an email that the academy can\u2019t comment on the details of the pending case, but that the claims are \u201cfalse and unsubstantiated\u201d and that the school\u2019s curriculum \u201cis, and always has been, based on Catholic values and rigorous academic standards.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe will continue to pray for all parties involved, and, if necessary, we are prepared to defend ourselves in court,\u201d Wise said in an email, the Tampa Bay Times reported.<\/p>\n<p>The Scarpos\u2019 lawyer Adam Levine and the Academy of the Holy Names did not immediately respond to request for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation.<\/p>\n<p>Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact <a href=\"mailto:licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org\">licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A family gifted a Tampa Catholic school $1.35 million and now wants their money back, citing fraud and lack of commitment to Catholic teaching, the Tampa Bay Times reported.\u00a0 Last &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2314270,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Rosary-Getty-scaled-e1625762345770.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"School \u2018Lost Its Way\u2019 To \u2018Woke Culture\u2019: Couple Who Donated $1.35 Million To Catholic School Sue For Money Back","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-586232","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Rosary-Getty-scaled-e1625762345770.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"School \u2018Lost Its Way\u2019 To \u2018Woke Culture\u2019: Couple Who Donated $1.35 Million To Catholic School Sue For Money Back","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/586232","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=586232"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/586232\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2314270"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=586232"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=586232"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=586232"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}