00:00Nicholas Sparks is firing back at a report that he banned an LGBTQ club at Epiphany
00:05School of Global Studies, a Christian school the author co-founded in North Carolina.
00:09On Thursday, the Daily Beast reported that the notebook author had banned student
00:12protests involving diversity issues and a club where students discuss sexual
00:17identity at the school which teaches students from grades K-12.
00:20The original report included emails from a lawsuit brought against the school and
00:24Sparks by Epiphany's former headmaster Saul Benjamin. The emails showed the author
00:28defending his decision to ban what he called a gay club and telling the headmaster that
00:32some thought he had an agenda striving to make homosexuality open and accepted.
00:37Sparks told Benjamin that in the wake of his actions he should shut down the group saying,
00:40don't rock the boat on this particular issue.
00:43Sparks also shot back at the headmaster's claim that the school had a diversity problem saying,
00:47regarding diversity, I've now told you half a dozen times that our lack of diversity has
00:52nothing to do with the school or anyone at the school. It's not because of what we as a school
00:56has or hasn't done. It has nothing to do with racism or vestiges of Jim Crow.
01:01It comes down to one, money and two, culture. The author issued a response at the time of the
01:06story's release saying that the emails were just the latest attempt to damage the school's
01:09reputation and wanted to make one thing clear. Epiphany is and remains a place for students and
01:15faculty of any race, belief, religion, background or orientation should feel welcome.
01:20And now, Sparks has issued an even lengthier statement acknowledging the Daily Beast report saying,
01:25several emails from me have been released to the public that on the surface portray me as
01:29someone intolerant of having an LGBTQ club at the school. The author is, however, assuring
01:34the public that despite how the reports portray him, he is in fact an unequivocal supporter of
01:38the LGBTQ community. He says,
01:41As someone who has spent the better part of my life as a writer who understands the power of words,
01:45I regret and apologize that mine have potentially hurt young people and members of the LGBTQ community.
01:50He continued saying,
01:52It's never been my intent to be unresponsive to the needs of the LGBTQ or any minority community.
01:57In fact, the opposite is true and I trust my actions moving forward will confirm that.
02:01To see Sparks' full statement, head over to THR.com and until next time for The Hollywood Reporter News,
02:06I'm Neha Joy.
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