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Director of PG County daycare center asks lesbian couple to ‘split up’

Rising Generations apologizes, says ‘employee’ was reprimanded

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(Bigstock photo)

The owners of a daycare center in Prince George’s County, Md., have apologized for one of their facility’s directors who told a lesbian couple whose child has been attending the daycare center that God instructed her to advise the couple to “split up.”

News about the action by Kimesha Munford, a director at Rising Generations Early Learning Center in Lanham, Md., was reported by D.C.’s FOX 5 News in a broadcast story in which the married lesbian couple was interviewed.

According to the FOX 5 report, Kelly Gibbs and her wife Ky Gibbs said they decided to withdraw their child from Rising Generations a few weeks ago after Munford left a “disturbing” voicemail message on Kelly Gibbs’ phone at 3:30 a.m., which the couple provided to FOX 5 News.

“Hi Mrs. Gibbs, this is Ms. Kimesha from Rising Generations,” the phone message says. “I’m so sorry to be calling you this late and to be calling you from my personal, private cell phone, but I had to call to let you know that I’m a prophet and God often speaks to me through dreams and visions,” Munford’s voice message continues.

“The word of the Lord says that God wants you and your wife to split up and I am so sorry to have to tell you this,” the voice message says, adding, “I also speak in tongues, I pray in tongues.”

Kelley and Ky Gibbs told FOX 5 that the message from Munford came as a shock because the daycare center is not a religious operation and no one from Rising Generations had given them any indication of disapproval toward their status as a same-sex married couple.

“If you don’t have the control to call me at 3:30 in the morning, especially for something that has nothing to do with my child, I just don’t trust that you have the self-control to not do something with my child during the day,” Kelly told FOX 5 in explaining the couple’s decision to withdraw their child from Rising Generations.

The Washington Blade couldn’t immediately reach a Rising Generations spokesperson for comment.

But FOX 5 posted on its website a statement by Rising Generations responding to the television news station’s report about the concerns raised by Kelly and Ky Gibbs. The statement is signed by Paulette Munford and Kelvin F. Munford. FOX 5 identified the two as the owners of Rising Generations and Kimesha Munford’s parents.

“Last night, FOX 5 D.C. aired a news report detailing concerning statements made by a staff member regarding the LGBTQIA+ relationship of a Rising Generation parent,” the statement says. “These statements were offensive and inappropriate, and they do not reflect the thoughts or beliefs of Rising Generations,” the statement continues.

“We extend our heartfelt apologies for the incident and any disappointment or frustration it may have caused,” the two Munfords say in their statement. “While it has always been our mission to provide quality care for children in a safe and loving environment, mistakes do happen and we are working diligently to address the issue.”

The statement concludes by saying, “Since becoming aware of the incident, the employee — who has served our organization for more than 30 years — has been reprimanded and acknowledged their error in judgment. We have also begun exploring ways that we as an organization can ensure that this never happens again.” 

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Maryland

Layoffs and confusion at Pride Center of Maryland after federal grants cut, reinstated

Trump administration move panicked addiction and mental health programs

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Merrick Moses, a violence prevention coordinator, works at the Pride Center of Maryland in Baltimore. (Photo by Ulysses Muñoz for the Baltimore Banner)

By ALISSA ZHU | After learning it had abruptly lost $2 million in federal funding, the Pride Center of Maryland moved to lay off a dozen employees, or about a third of its workforce, the Baltimore nonprofit’s leader said Thursday.

The group is one of thousands nationwide that reportedly received letters late Tuesday from the Trump administration. Their mental health and addiction grants had been terminated, effective immediately, the letters said.

By Wednesday night, federal officials moved to reverse the funding cuts by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, estimated to total $2 billion, according to national media reports. But the Pride Center of Maryland’s CEO Cleo Manago said as of Thursday morning he had not heard anything from the federal government confirming those reports.

The rest of this article can be read on the Baltimore Banner’s website.

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Maryland

Steny Hoyer, the longest-serving House Democrat, to retire from Congress

Md. congressman served for years in party leadership

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At 86, Steny Hoyer is the latest in a generation of senior-most leaders stepping aside, making way for a new era of lawmakers eager to take on governing. (Photo by KT Kanazawich for the Baltimore Banner)

By ASSOCIATED PRESS and LISA MASCARO | Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland, the longest-serving Democrat in Congress and once a rival to become House speaker, will announce Thursday he is set to retire at the end of his term.

Hoyer, who served for years in party leadership and helped steer Democrats through some of their most significant legislative victories, is set to deliver a House floor speech about his decision, according to a person familiar with the situation and granted anonymity to discuss it.

“Tune in,” Hoyer said on social media. He confirmed his retirement plans in an interview with the Washington Post.

The rest of this article can be found on the Baltimore Banner’s website.

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Maryland

Joseline Peña-Melnyk elected Md. House speaker

Family immigrated to New York City from the Dominican Republic

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Maryland House speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk addresses the chamber after being sworn in. (Photo by Jerry Jackson for the Baltimore Banner)

By PAMELA WOOD | Moments after being elected speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates Tuesday, state Del. Joseline Peña-Melnyk stood before the chamber and contemplated her unlikely journey to that moment.

Born in the Dominican Republic, the Peña family lived in a small wooden house with a leaky tin roof and no indoor plumbing. Some days, she said, there was no food to eat.

When she was 8 years old, the family immigrated to New York City, where Peña-Melnyk was dubbed “abogadito” or “little lawyer” for helping her mother and others by translating at social services offices.

The rest of this article can be read on the Baltimore Banner’s website.

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