LA High School Principal Bans Chick-fil-A Over Chain's Gay Marriage Views

The principal of a high school in Los Angeles' Ventura County is prohibiting students of a booster club from selling food items from Chick-fil-A because of the popular fast food chain's well-known stance on same-sex marriage, CBS Los Angeles reports.

Venture High School principal Val Wyatt told the local media that he barred the school's football booster club, which helps raise money to help pay for school costs like uniforms and food, from selling Chick-fil-A sandwiches at school event Wednesday night because the restaurant's controversy over its stance on same-sex marriage may offend some students and parents.

"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," Wyatt told the Ventura County Star newspaper.
Ventura Unified School District Superintendent Trudy Tuttle Arriaga echoed similar statements.

"We value inclusivity and diversity on our campus and all of our events and activities are going to adhere to our mission," Arriaga said.

The Chick-fil-A in Venture planned to donate 200 meals, which would have brought in about $1,600 to the booster club, which was raising money for the school's football team. CBS Los Angeles reports the restaurant already donated $21,000 to Ventura schools.

Chick-fil-A came under fire after its CEO and president, Dan T. Cathy, made comments about the LGBT community and denounced gay marriage. It sparked national outrage from LGBT groups and activists and activists staged boycotts and protested the company by holding kiss-ins at Chick-fil-A's around the country. Chick-fil-A is run by conservative Christians, who close down their restaurants on Sundays.

Wyatt's decision to ban Chick-fil-A from the school comes just a few days after it was announced that the fast food chain's owner S. Truett Cathy, Dan T. Cathy's father, died at 93.

Though Wyatt attempted to appease students and parents, not everyone is happy with the decision to ban Chick-fil-A. Michelle Cisneros and her daughter were outraged and complained to school officials.

"Everybody is embraced," Cisneros said. "And Chick-fil-A should have been allowed to be here."

Student Graham Wallace disagrees, however, and supports Wyatt's decision, saying, "There are gay kids that go to our school, and for them it might be kind of weird."

CBS Los Angeles notes that Chick-fil-A is not being banned from donating money to the school, however.