Parents in Florida are demanding the arrest of Pastor Terence Gray, who is accused of physically punishing their children at a private religious school.
The incident allegedly took place at St. Marks AME Churchs Alpha Learning Academy in Orlando, where Gray is said to have entered a fourth-grade classroom to address misbehavior.
According to the parents, Gray demanded that the misbehaving students identify themselves. While it remains uncertain whether any students admitted to misconduct, the teacher reportedly singled out the alleged culprits, as reported by WFTV. Gray is then said to have removed his belt and administered three lashes to each of over a dozen students, leaving some with visible bruises.
Shane Walker, one of the students, told WFTV, He said he was going to whoop us with a belt because we were being bad. His mother, Janesha Martin, expressed her outrage, stating, I dont send my child to school to be abused by anyone, and insisted that The pastor should have been arrested last night!
When confronted, Gray allegedly claimed that the students had volunteered for the punishment, a statement Martin vehemently denies. Pastor Gray said that the children volunteered, which is a lie, she said. My child would never volunteer to disciplinary action of that sort.
Kinshasa Felix, another parent, withdrew her daughter from the school after the child was reportedly punished for distributing drawings to classmates. What makes a man want to whip a kid like that? she asked. When she informed the school of her decision, they presented her with a withdrawal form citing academic reasons for her daughter's departure. Felix insisted on replacing it with child abuse.
The parents argue that the schools handbook does not sanction whipping as a form of punishment. They also point out that despite Gray being the senior pastor of the church that runs the school, he should not be involved in its daily operations.
The principal of Alpha Learning Academy has not responded to requests for comment. An attempt to contact Gray via the email address listed on the churchs website was unsuccessful.
Gray has served as a senior pastor at St. Marks AME Church since 2004, according to his LinkedIn profile. In 2021, he ran for Congress, emphasizing his positive community work, but was unsuccessful.
Orlando police are currently investigating the allegations, stating that they were alerted shortly after the students reported the incident. According to WESH, no children were seriously injured, and no paramedics were called to the scene.
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