Gay Leaders Bad For Youth

If you read between the lines, here is a openly gay man who is taking advantage of a  young 17 year old which is a great reason not to have gay leaders should not be allowed to lead student groups like the Boy Scouts!

Conservative Tom

Orr to strip Pugh of Detroit City Council duties, pay

Separately, council president accused by family's lawyer of 'inappropriate relationship' with teen he mentored

• Jennifer Chambers, Christine MacDonald and Christine Ferretti
• The Detroit News
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Detroit Council President Charles Pugh (David Guralnick/The Detroit News)

Detroit — City Council President Charles Pugh could soon be out of a paycheck and is facing allegations he “tried to seduce” a teen student he once mentored, according to representatives of the youth’s mother.

On the same day Pugh — who has been missing from City Hall for days — missed a 5 p.m. deadline to show up for work, attorneys of a Detroit mother went public with allegations that Pugh had an “inappropriate relationship” with her son, removing him from class without her permission and showering him with gifts.

The attorney, Ivan Land, accused Pugh of buying a then-17-year-old at Frederick Douglass Academy a $350 cellphone, clothes for the prom and gave him $160 in cash. The two met last fall through a leadership program Pugh led at the school.

“It went way past what a teacher-student relationship consists of,” said Land, at a press conference in his Oak Park office. “(The mother) realized that Charles Pugh was taking her kid out of school (alone). She was very upset.”

When asked repeatedly about the relationship, Land would only say it was an “inappropriate relationship” and the district should have done more to protect the boy.

Family spokesman Skip Mongo told reporters Pugh “was in a position of authority and he tried to seduce this young man.”

A lawsuit could be filed within days, the attorney said. The accusations came the same day Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr began the process of stripping Pugh of his $76,000 salary and duties and title as council president. Pugh has been away from City Hall for about 10 days and sought a four-week medical leave on Tuesday.

Orr rejected the request and set the deadline. When it passed, Orr ordered attorneys to began writing an order to strip Pugh’s salary, said Bill Nowling, a spokesman for the emergency manager.

“He’s still a council member,” Nowling said. “If (the order) is signed he’ll just be a council member without a paycheck.”

Nowling declined to address the allegations involving the student, saying it would be “inappropriate.”

Attempts to reach Pugh, who is openly gay, were unsuccessful Wednesday. Ramona Prater, his chief of staff, said she hadn’t heard from Pugh on Wednesday and didn’t know where he was.

“I don’t know anything,” she said.

Land said he intends to sue Pugh, the City of Detroit and Detroit Public Schools in the next few days for more than $25,000. He wouldn’t disclose the name of the mother or son, who is now 18.

Detroit Public Schools spokesman Steve Wasko confirmed Wednesday the district received a complaint from a parent about Pugh in early June.

“At the time, the school reached out to the parent who stated that she would prefer to handle the matter personally. The school has since contacted the parent again in writing seeking to resolve the concerns, and is awaiting a response,” Wasko said. “The school and the district will fully review the program in question.”

Keith Johnson, president of the Detroit Federation of Teachers, the teacher’s union at DPS, said Pugh has always encouraged young men in Detroit to lead upright lives, be positive and avoid all the trappings of inner city life. Allegations that Pugh provided gifts, including cash, don’t mean he did something improper, Johnson said.

“It would not surprise me if he paid for prom and (a) hotel room especially if the parents can’t pay for it. If that is the case I would say it’s innocuous and I wouldn’t read more into that. We have a number of teachers who pay for kids to attend prom. I’ve paid for kids to get tuxedos,” Johnson said. “A cellphone? That’s a bit much.”

Land said Pugh and the teen talked on the phone and exchanged text messages. Pugh used a city-owned car to pick up the teen from school without his mother’s permission, Land said, adding that doing so is a crime.

“I have text messages to substantiate some of the things I am telling you. ... DPS had a duty to protect my client. He was sent to school to learn,” said Land, who declined to provide the text messages to reporters Wednesday.

The mother never went to police because “Charles Pugh at the time was the second-most powerful person in Detroit,” Mongo said.

Land said the mother learned of the relationship May 31 and complained to school officials on June 3. She also complained to Pugh, who began to harass her and offered her a job, Mongo said. Pugh didn’t specify the nature of the job.

DPS officials contacted the mother on Tuesday, Land said, and asked her to meet with Pugh and the school’s principal. She refused, Land said.

“It started with a inappropriate relationship with the son but it spilled over into harassment of the mother,” said Mongo, a Detroit political consultant. “The telephone calls all through the night, text messages, emails, after she begged this man to stop. He wanted her not to talk to anyone, media or the authorities. She wanted her son left alone.”

Berry Greer, principal at Frederick Douglass Academy for Young Men, said last week he was aware of allegations against Pugh by a student who was a senior at the school and has since graduated. Greer said he could not discuss specifics of the allegation.

“I cannot comment. … We’ve reached out to the parents,” Greer said.

Whether the district would allow Pugh to mentor seniors this fall, Greer said: “We are going to look into that. I would rather not comment now.”

From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20130626/METRO01/306260112#ixzz2XQCU0vaj

The Boy Scout Decline Starts--It Is Not Small

‘IT’S NOT A HATE THING’: BOY SCOUTS FACE MONUMENTAL LOSS AFTER CHOICE TO ALLOW OPENLY-GAY MEMBERS

Jun. 3, 2013 7:57am Billy Hallowell

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The Boy Scouts of America’s decision to allow openly-gay young men to participate in the organization is already spawning some major membership problems.

While those in support of the new-found policy are frustrated that gay leaders are still not permitted to take part, others who oppose the amendment believe that the group is abandoning its Christian heritage. Among the denominations that may cut off support for the Scouts is the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC).

Church leaders, according to CNN, are planning to urge the religious order’s 45,000 congregations and 16 million members to officially cut ties with the Boy Scouts. Considering that 4,000 units are currently sponsored by the SBC, this would be a monumental loss for the organization — one that would impact 100,000 young men who participate through this denomination.

This month, the SBC plans to vote on a non-binding resolution at a convention in Houston. The effort will take place on June 11 or 12. And the provision, according to insiders, has a good chance of passing.

“There’s a 100% chance that there will be a resolution about disaffiliation at the convention and a 100% chance that 99% of people will vote for it,” Richard Land, head of the Southern Baptists’ Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, told CNN. “Southern Baptists are going to be leaving the Boy Scouts en masse.”

The SBC has emphasized that even if a resolution is voted upon, that it is up to local affiliates to make decisions about scouting. That said, if Land is correct, the mere non-binding proclamation would have a major impact on the SBC and the Boy Scouts — and it would surely change the relationship between the two parties.

Pastor Tim Reed of First Baptist Church is among those who believe the Scouts should have never changed their rules.

“God’s word explicitly says homosexuality is a choice, a sin,” Reed, who decided to cut his church’s ties with the Scouts, told a CNN affiliate. “It’s not a hate thing here. It’s a moral stance we must take as a Southern Baptist church.”

Watch him discuss the matter, below:

Last week, TheBlaze explored the impact of the Boy Scouts’ decision to allow openly-gay youths. While many view it as a inclusive step, others, like the SBC, fear that it runs counter to the values and morals embedded in the Christian faith. It is likely that many groups will flock to alternative organizations or start their own organiations similar to the Scouts — but with a more faith-based message.

(H/T: CNN)

Scout Decision Could End The Organization

IS THE BOY SCOUTS’ GAY AMENDMENT THE ‘BEGINNING OF THE END’ FOR THE GROUP? (PLUS: TELL US WHERE YOU STAND)

May. 24, 2013 2:10pm Billy Hallowell

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Is this the beginning of the end for the Boy Scouts of America (BSA)?

While dramatic, the question is one that is currently being asked in the wake of the organization’s decision to allow openly-gay children to be members. In the end, the reality is that the policy will likely have both positive and negative effects on the traditional group — an organization that, quite interestingly, plans to simultaneously uphold its decision not to allow gay scout leaders.

News of Thursday’s vote was welcomed by gay rights advocates and derided by many Christian groups who stand firmly against homosexuality. Among the voices of opposition was Brian Brown, president of the National Organization for Marriage, a group that opposes same-sex marriage.

In a statement, he decried the lift on the gay ban, calling Thursday “a sad day for the Boy Scouts of America.”

Jennifer Tyrrell (L) of Bridgeport, Ohio, speaks at a news conference as Pascal Tessier, 16, of Kensington, Maryland, wipes his eyes at a news conference held at the Great Wolf Lodge May 23, 2013 in Grapevine, Texas. Credit: Getty Images

Rather than making a decision based upon values, Brown accused the organization of buckling under political pressure and steering away from its traditional and historic roots. And he warned that this action will lead the BSA down a path in which courts will order the allowance of gay scout leaders.

“Unfortunately, what they have done is said to the world that their oath no longer means much,” he said of the BSA. “Their decision to admit openly gay scouts will end up sexualizing the organization.”

Ultimately, Brown warned that the group could collapse as a result of churches pulling their support. He called the move “the beginning of the end” for the BSA.

And he wasn’t alone, as others mirrored this sentiment. David Cortman, a lawyer with Alliance Defending Freedom, a Christian group, also decried the decision to admit children of any sexual orientation, The Christian Post reports.

“Sadly, the Boy Scouts Executive National Council’s decision disregards not only the nearly 19,000 Americans who signed a petition urging BSA to ‘uphold the values that have defined the organization for over 100 years,’ but also the millions of Americans who have supported the program,” Cortman said.

“With its decision today, BSA has rejected its freedom to promote and practice the values that have served to shape our nation’s boys into leaders for the last century,” he added.

John Stemberger, an Eagle Scout and Orlando, Fla. based attorney speaks out during a news conference against the Boy Scouts of American decision allowing openly gay scouts to participate in scouting Thursday, May 23, 2013, in Grapevine, Texas. Local leaders of the Boy Scouts of America voted Thursday to ease a divisive ban and allow openly gay boys to be accepted into the nation’s leading youth organization one of the most dramatic moves the organization has made in a century. Credit: AP

These views come in stark contrast to those who support the BSA’s evolution on the issue. Groups like GLAAD are praising the move, but maintain that they would also like to see the gay scout leader ban be lifted. Some gay rights leaders and organizations are still accusing the organization of sending a mixed message in the affirmation that gay children can participate, while gay adults cannot. The battle over the latter restriction will likely continue.

While some conservative and religious groups are giving some harsh assessments, others who oppose gay marriage seem to be taking a more measured tone. In the wake of the decision, theNational Catholic Committee on Scouting said it is going to explore how the change will impact its associated scouting groups. And the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints also released a statement about the decision.

“The Church appreciates BSA’s reaffirmation of its commitment to ‘duty to God,’ which includes service to others and moral behavior — central principles of our teaching to young men,” the release read. “As in the past, the Church will work with BSA to harmonize what Scouting has to offer with the varying needs of our young men.”

“We trust that BSA will implement and administer the approved policy in an appropriate and effective manner,” the group added, offering a more measured response to the decision.

Credit: AP

As TheBlaze previously reported, local Scout leaders voting at the group’s annual meeting in Texas supported the change by more than 60 percent; the new policy will go into effect on January 1, 2014. The restriction on openly-gay members was in effect for 103 years before being amended this week.

Now, definitively answering how this will impact the organization’s future isn’t possible at this point, as only time will tell. But if conservative groups make good on their threats to abandon the group, it’s likely that membership will take a hit.

Then again, individuals who previously felt excluded may warm up to the BSA (but that could depend on how the scout leader issue is handled). In sum: The BSA’s future is uncertain.

What do you think? 

Scouts Now Will Admit Gay Youth--Not Leaders

Boy Scouts End Longtime Ban on Openly Gay Youths

By ERIK ECKHOLM

Published: May 23, 2013 27 Comments

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GRAPEVINE, Tex. — The Boy Scouts of America on Thursday ended its longstanding policy of forbidding openly gay youths to participate in its activities, a step its chief executive called “compassionate, caring and kind.”

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The badge of an Eagle Scout in Orlando, Fla., last year. More than 1,400 volunteer Boy Scouts leaders voted Thursday, with more than 60 percent approving the measure to end the organization's ban on gay members.

At the Heart of an Institution

Three people with ties to the Boy Scouts offer perspectives on the organization that has for years served as a symbol of conservative America.

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• On Eve of Vote, Boy Scouts Are Divided Over Accepting Gay Youths (May 23, 2013)

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• Editorial: Scouting’s Move Toward Equality (May 24, 2013)

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Allison Mackey of Hanover, Pa., with her five sons — one an Eagle Scout, three now active in scouting and an eight-year-old who had planned to join. All the sons said they were willing to abandon the Boy Scouts if openly gay members are allowed.

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The decision, which came after years of resistance and wrenching internal debate, was widely seen as a milestone for the Boy Scouts, a symbol of traditional America. More than 1,400 volunteer leaders from across the country voted, with more than 60 percent approving a measure that said no youth may be denied membership “on the basis of sexual orientation or preference alone.”

The top national leaders of the Boy Scouts, who pledge fealty to God and country, had urged the change in the face of vehement opposition from conservative parents and volunteers, some of whom said they would quit the organization. But the vote put the Scouts more in line with the swift rise in public acceptance of homosexuality, especially among younger parents who are essential to the future of an institution that has been losing members for decades.

The policy change, effective January 2014, is unlikely to bring peace to the Boy Scouts as they struggle to keep a foothold in a swirling cultural landscape, with renewed lobbying and debate already starting Thursday evening.

The Scouts did not consider the even more divisive question of whether to allow openly gay adults and leaders. This drew criticism from advocates for gay rights, who called the decision a breakthrough but vowed to continue pressing the Scouts to allow gay members of all ages.

Some conservative churches and parents said the Scouts were violating their oath to be “morally straight” and said they would drop out.

Still, for gay men who were forced out of scouting and for their allies, thousands of whom joined the push for change, the opening of membership was more than welcome.

“I’ve waited 13 years for this,” said Matt Comer, now 27, who had to leave his scout troop at 14 after he started a Gay-Straight Alliance at his school. Since the fourth grade, he said Thursday, he had dreamed of becoming an Eagle Scout and was crushed when he was denied the chance.

“Today we finally have some justice for me and others,” he said. “But gay youths will still be told they are no longer welcome when they turn 18.”

Leaders of the conservative faction predicted that lawsuits would soon force the Boy Scouts to allow openly gay leaders, and they accused the top leaders of ignoring the beliefs of their members.

“The fallout from this is going to be tremendous,” said Robert Schwarzwalder, a senior vice president of theFamily Research Council, a conservative Christian group, and a father of two scouts in Northern Virginia. “I think there will be a loss of hundreds of thousands of boys and parents.”

“This great institution is going to be vitiated by the intrusion of a political agenda,” he said.

After the decision was announced Thursday, John Stemburger, an evangelical leader from Florida who organized a campaign to block the change, said that like-minded groups and parents would meet next month in Louisville, Ky., to discuss creating what he called a new “character development organization for boys,” an alternative to scouting.

Glaad, a gay-rights group that has campaigned for change over the last year, said it would keep pressure on the Boy Scouts over the leadership issue.

“We’ll continue urging corporate donors and public officials to withhold their support,” said Richard Ferraro, the group’s vice president for communications.

Several sponsors, including the UPS Foundation, Merck, the Intel Foundation, and many local United Ways and city agencies had already ended financing for the Scouts because the group’s policies violated their own nondiscrimination guidelines.

In a closed meeting of the assembled delegates here Wednesday night, the top three leaders of the Boy Scouts — Wayne Brock, the paid chief executive; Wayne Perry, the volunteer president who is a corporate leader from Washington State; and Tico Perez, the volunteer commissioner and a consultant in Florida — made a strong plea to delegates and dissenting board members to allow gay youths, saying the goal of scouting was to reach as many boys as possible, according to people who attended.

“This is not about what’s legal but what’s compassionate, caring and kind,” Mr. Brock reportedly said.

No similar proposal to allow gay adults was on the agenda, and the executives have said little about how they made the distinction. But in surveys this spring, many parents and volunteers around the country said they were against the idea of openly gay scout leaders.

The vote was a bittersweet one for David Knopp, 86, who spent much of his life in scouting as a boy, as a professional staff member and later as a volunteer with a council in Connecticut. He had tried to keep his sexual orientation a secret but one day in 1993, he said, two scout officials said, “We found out you are a homosexual,” and forced him out.

“I see this as a good step, but with a lot of misgivings,” he said of the limited opening to gays.

Some of the most conservative parents and leaders are already thinking of what comes next.

Allison Mackey of Hanover, Pa., has five sons — one an Eagle Scout, three now active in scouting and an 8-year-old who had planned to join.

The family has discussed the issue and reached a decision, she said: All the sons were willing to abandon the Boy Scouts if openly gay members are allowed.

“The Boy Scouts are something we’ve really enjoyed because they celebrate manliness and leadership,” she said. But, she added, she and her husband were “looking to encourage our sons in traditional Christian values.”

Personally, she said she would be disappointed to see her sons leave the Scouts.

“To stand by principles would be difficult,” she said. “But we’re going to have to say no. The organization is giving up freedom.”

In a meeting with reporters after the vote, Mr. Perry, the national president of the Boy Scouts, sought to put the rancor behind.

“We’re moving forward together,” he said. “Everyone agrees on one thing, no matter how you feel about this issue, kids are better off in scouting.”

Robbie Brown contributed reporting from Atlanta; Lauren D’Avolio from Grapevine, Tex.; and Steven Yaccino from Chicago.