Citing Love for God, Teacher Writes High School Paper Saying Gay People ‘Deserve to Die,’ Resigns After Backlash

‘I Love the Staff and Students … But I Love God More’

A former teacher at California’s San Luis Obispo High School has resigned following backlash from his letter to the school’s newspaper, in which he quoted scripture advising those who engage in homosexual acts “deserve to die.”

Former special education teacher Michael Stack decided to write the letter to Expressions, the school’s newspaper published by high school students, following their May 2017 print edition featuring LGBTQ issues, area newspaper The Tribune reported. Local affiliate KRON4 covered the issue’s release:

“I love the staff and students at SLOHS. My students know that,” Stack wrote in his letter. “But I love God more, so in obedience to Him, I am writing this letter.”

He cited that the Christian Bible, because of divine intervention, is a book “filled with thousands of predictions over thousands of years, with 100% accuracy regarding their fulfillment,” and advises that teachers are “especially accountable” for their actions.

“I’m a teacher, and I don’t want to displease God any more than I already have with my sinful life, so in obedience to Him, I’m asking you to please slowly read and consider… Romans, Chapter 1, verses 16-32.”

The letter, still featured on the newspaper’s website, proceeds to quote Romans 1:16-32. It reads that “their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, committing shameless acts with men… They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice.”

It continues that “they are full of murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful… foolish, faithless, heartless… Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.”

Stack further asserted that he’d written the letter so that students “who have stumbled, or may stumble” may be “put… back on the right path.”

The letter was highly criticized, including by the town’s mayor, who voiced concerns for LGBT youth, “a community that already has a high degree of suicide.” It also sparked protests on school grounds.

The San Luis Obispo High School, however, initially did not intend to discipline the teacher, who was already in a probationary period. (Though they reportedly weren’t going to offer him a full-time position the following school year.)

“A bedrock principle underlying the First Amendment is that the government may not prohibit the expression of an idea simply because society finds the idea offensive or disagreeable,” the school’s superintendent and principal said in a joint statement.  

Stack echoed their sentiments in his resignation letter, noting that he “exercised [his] First Amendment rights… Now people are exercising THEIR First Amendment rights by responding.” He decided to resign, ultimately, because “the community apparently wants [him] out.” He reportedly emailed his resignation after not arriving for work this week, copying Fox News.

The Tribune further reported that Stack had received death threats, advising that school officials “are concerned for his safety.” 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that LGBTQ youth are at an increased risk for suicidal thoughts, behaviors, attempts and actual suicide, finding that they are more than twice as likely to have attempted suicide as their heterosexual peers.

 

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