Lucélia Ribeiro via Wikimedia Commons

A Tampa family is suing their kids’ Catholic school and demanding the return of up to $1.35 million in gifts, alleging the school defrauded them by promising a traditional Catholic education but instead teaching “woke culture.”

Anthony and Barbara Scarpo filed a 13-count, 45-page lawsuit against the Academy of the Holy Names demanding their pledge be rescinded, their gifts returned and their two daughters’ tuition be refunded and donated to Catholic charities, alleging school officials defrauded them about the actual nature of the schools’ curriculum.

The Tampa Bay Times reports:

The school, they charge, has “lost its way” by distancing itself from mainstream Catholicism and embracing a divisive “woke culture” where priority is given to “gender identity, human sexuality and pregnancy termination among other hot button issues.” The lawsuit makes clear the couple’s displeasure with the way the school has dealt with issues of race, saying students are made to feel guilty for being white and having enough money to attend the academy.

In addition to asking for a return of the pledged donation, the lawsuit seeks a tuition refund. It also asks that the academy be stopped from advertising itself as a Catholic institution and for the Florida Catholic Conference to stop accrediting the school.

The lawsuit points to alleged teaching to students alleging systemic racism in law enforcement and that white or wealthy students are guilty of inherent bigotry.  It also points to a blackboard in a common area urging students to become allies with gay and lesbian causes, which as commonly defined conflicts with traditional Catholic teachings.

“The continued indoctrination of your twisted version of social and racial justice, equity, inclusion, sexuality and today’s 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,” Anthony Scarpo wrote in a letter to the school after his oldest daughter’s graduation.  His younger daughter has since transferred to another school.

“You 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 … pleaded with you to stop, slow down,” Scarpo added.

The Scarpos have not yet given all of the $1.35 million they pledged.  Their lawsuit states as of 2018 they had raised $9 million for the school and given $240,000 toward their pledge.

Under Florida law, school officials may countersue and demand the Scarpos pay them the full $1.35 million.

The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of AmericanActionNews.com




Michael Brigham has written for American Action News since the summer of 2019. His areas of expertise include foreign affairs, government, and politics, but regardless of the subject matter, he has a nose and an insatiable appetite for news. In his free time, he enjoys reading nonfiction, watching a mix of comedies and true crime documentaries, and spending time away from the swamp hiking in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains.

Comments

    1. Ben, I am sorry to tell you this, but the catholic church is shatawn’s church. You have to open your eyes to the truth before you will be able to see it. Are there good people that call themselves catholic’s? Yes there are, but that does not mean that those good people are not deceived.

      1. It’s obvious that you have never opened a Catholic bible or catechism. If you had, you’d know that the official teachings of the Church and the beliefs of the faithful are exactly the OPPOSITE of Satanic. BTW, the first part of the Catholic baptismal vow says explicitly, “I renounce Satan and all his works.”. You don’t have a clue what you’re talking about.

        1. Throw out your taught doctrines of man and study the Scriptures for yourself. I am speaking as one who GOD has saved out of the Roman abomination.

        2. Please do your own study and stop listening to those devils. It sounds like they have you hooked pretty good. I hope you can break free. Everything about organized religion is a lie. Shatawn has made a counterfeit of everything that is true and people are following after his counterfeit. Yahuwah is the One True Eloah and He sent His Son Yahushua to save us. These organized counterfeit churches are telling people that Jesus will save them and all they have to do is repeat this little prayer after them. Jesus is a creation of the evil one to draw you away from the truth of Yahuwah and Yahushua. Yahushua said I come in My Fathers name and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, him you will receive. Jesus is the other one that came in his own name and is deceiving the whole world. Our ancestors were taught the lie, and they then teach their children the lie.

          Jeremiah 16:19 Yahuwah, my strength and my fortress, my refuge in the day of affliction, the nations will come to You from the ends of the earth and say, “Surely our fathers have acquired lies, worthlessness, and unprofitable things.” 

  1. It is good to see people finally waking up and standing up to the commies who are trying to overthrow our once great nation.

  2. It’s clearly and evident that the school has commited fraud, false advertising, promoting hate and conspiracy to promote future hate crimes by indoctrinating children to hate each other.

  3. Most of my esteemed ancestors were Godly people. Yet they severed ties with the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland and in radical Germany. Why? Because of a series of evil popes who were no longer satisfied with dominion over the spiritual life of their congregation, but went in fanatically for the conquest of earthly power, goods and Mammon. I feel so sorry for the Catholics of today. What they now have is a wicked pope, a wolf in sheep’s clothing who spits on Church doctrine and spits in the face of God in the name of socialism.

  4. LISTEN UP…I was Raised as a CATHOLIC. ONE Must HOLD TRUE to TRADITIONAL VALUES. GOD is the SAME….YESTERDAY….TODAY and FOREVER. Fro m SamuraiQueen. 😄😄😄

  5. with the judges today you never know where this will land…Good luck and I hope they close down this terrible excuse of a school….

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