Christian High School Volleyball Coach Was Allegedly Asked To Resign Because He Is Gay

A volleyball coach at Valor Christain High School in Denver has been allegedly forced to resign from his job after school officials learned that he is gay. Inoke Tonga was the head coach for the boy’s JV volleyball team as well as the assistant coach on the boys varsity team.

In his Instagram post on Sunday, Tonga said the school’s pastor and athletic director had told him that he only has two options. If he did not “denounce being gay” he would be released from his job.

According to Fox News, Tonga was grilled by the school’s administrators on the danger he poses to the school and the kids for being gay. He said the administrators had even offered to write an email for him saying that he was “away for personal matters” and when he has decided to accept God and the school’s help, he can have his job back.

"They told me, 'We'll give you a day, we'll give you a week, however long it takes for you to accept our help to be healed and come to become a child of God and denounce being gay,'" Tonga said. “They even went as far as telling me ‘parents pay too much money to have their kids be coached and taught by someone like you who identifies as a gay man.’” he added.

Tonga, who is also a Christian, further explained that the offer made to him was not to convert him into becoming a straight man. However, he was eventually pressured as the school urged him to delete his social media posts that speak of anything that has to do with being gay.

“We want you to realize that you aren’t gay. You need to become a child of God. No more goals of getting married to the love of my life who is a man," Tonga wrote of what he was told during the hour and a half long administration meeting

School officials confirmed that its athletic directors were made aware of Tonga’s Facebook post where he elaborated on his Christian life as a gay man. The school took action on his post as he suggested that he may not support Valor’s beliefs pertaining to marriage and sexuality.

A spokesperson for the school said in a statement, "Valor’s campus pastor and athletic director initiated a conversation with Coach Inoke to explore this matter further. Following this discussion, Coach Inoke provided a statement to Valor in which he concluded that he does not support Valor’s beliefs and he requested a separation from Valor."

Prior to this incident, Tonga was asked to be the assistant for the girls volleyball team.