New Orleans Principal Turns Down Free Chick-fil-A to Show Support For LGBTQ Staff

A high school in New Orleans refused to serve a free Chick-fil-A meal that was offered to teachers in order to show support for the school's LGBTQ employees.

Lusher High School Principal Dr. Steven Corbett said his reason for declining the free food was "out of respect for LGBTQ staff members," according to WWL-TV.

In a statement, Dr. Corbett explained the reason for his response:

"Out of respect to our LGBTQ staff, we have chosen to not serve Chick-Fil-A at an employee lunch. The #1 rule at Lusher is to 'Be Kind' and we live this motto every day," Corbett said. "Chick-Fil-A has been politically outspoken about its views, and we feel it is not part of Lusher's culture of kindness and community."

The free food for the high school was meant to be a positive gesture for Orleans Parish schools by the College Football Playoff Foundation (CFPF).

Tony Fay with CFPF said the meal was a contribution to the New Orleans community for organizing the Sugar Bowl and College Football Championship.

But he understands and respects the school's decision to turn down the meal and will bring food from another restaurant.

Opposition toward the restaurant stems from a statement made in 2012 when Chick-Fil-A's founder Dan Cathy expressed his personal conviction that marriage is a union between one man and one woman.

WDSU-TV in New Orleans reports that Dr. Corbett emailed staff members in the school, clarifying the reason for the missed meal and said teachers would be given a different free lunch. 

Also, Lusher College Counsel tweeted a video with the principal defending his decision. 

#LusherPride for @Stevecorbett66 #NoPlaceForHate https://t.co/9UyiqrtuTJ

— LusherCollegeCounsel (@LusherCollege) October 10, 2019

'We made the decision essentially to support our staff members who are LGBTQ and other supporters. Anytime there is an organization that is anti-LGBTQ and has efforts to infringe upon their rights, we thought it was important to make sure we're supporting and standing up for our community at that time," Corbett added.

A spokesperson for Chick-fil-A sent Fox News the following statement on the school's decision. 

"We are a restaurant company focused on food and hospitality and have no political or social agenda. Our priority is on providing a welcoming and respectful environment for our guests and Team Members," the rep said.

Chick-Fil-A says they welcome everyone to their restaurant.  Apparently, the LGBTQ protests no matter how small or large have not affected Chick-fil-A's bottom line or popularity.

The restaurant is known not just for its great chicken, but its niceness has made "My pleasure" the response to a customer's "Thank you" the standard for many other fast-food businesses. 

Smallbiztrends.com reported in August that for the third consecutive year, Chick-fil-A ranked as the number one fast-food restaurant in customer service (July 2019). It also now comes in at #3 in popularity among those in the fast-food universe, nipping at the heels of McDonald's and Starbucks.