American Online Chairman Case and Wife Donate $8.35 Million to Private School Run by Anti-Gay Ministry

Here is a roundup of news, controversy, and commentary about the $8.35 million donation made in 1999 by American Online chairman Stephen M. Case and his wife Jean to the anti-gay Westminster Academy in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

America Online, You’ve Got Trouble

America Online founder and chairman Steve Case and his wife Jean donated more than $8 million in early October to a school run by a church that sponsors anti-gay programs including the ex-gay ministry Worthy Creations, Bay Windows, December 7, 2000.

AOL and the Bungled Donation

When the media began reporting that America Online (AOL) honcho Steve Case and his wife forked over $8.3 million to support a parochial school affiliated with a staunchly anti-gay ministry, the couple took the first train to Denial - and now what started as a small story is getting national play, Industry Standard, November 2, 2000.

You've Got Hate Mail

Steve and Jean Case's $8.35 million donation to a school affiliated with an anti-gay ministry prompts a call for a boycott of AOL, Salon.com, November 1, 2000.

AOL Struggles to Calm Gay Subscribers

The Human Rights Campaign has acknowledged -- but remains disturbed -- by AOL president Steve Case's defense of an $8.35 million donation he and his wife Jean made to an anti-gay church in Florida, Datalounge.com, October 31, 2000.

Editorial: Politics Makes for Strange Lesbian Bedfellows

Why doesn't HRC Executive Director Elizabeth Birch's partner's donation to anti-gay Senator Orrin Hatch reflect just as poorly on Birch and HRC as the Cases' donation to the Coral Ridge Ministries' Westminster Academy?, Southern Voice, October 26, 2000.

Web of Controversy Surrounds AOL Donation

Media analysis by source of controversy over America Online Cases' donation to anti-gay ministry, Bay Area Reporter, October 26, 2000.

AOL Founder Donates Millions to Right-Wing Church School

A donation from America Online CEO Steve Case and his wife to a private school associated with a far-right church amounts to funding an "assembly line of hate," according to one of the nation's largest gay political groups, Southern Voice, October 26, 2000.

Case Replies to HRC Criticism

America Online's CEO takes a shot at explaining his wife's contribution to her religious right-affiliated high school, but still fails to hit the mark for many activists, PlanetOut, October 26, 2000.

Some Gays Critical of AOL Chairman's Donation to Lauderdale Christian School

An $8.35 million gift from AOL Chairman Steve Case and his wife, Jean, to Fort Lauderdale's Westminster Academy is causing some consternation in the gay community, given the school's close ties to the Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church, Sun-Sentinel, October 24, 2000.

Gay Rights Advocates Express Concern Over Case Donation to School

An $8.35 million donation made a year ago by American Online chairman Stephen M. Case and his wife Jean to the Westminster Academy in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, has raised concern among gay rights advocates, Philanthropy News Digest, October 24, 2000.

AOL's Alarming Money Trail

Michaelangelo Signorile reports that when looking at where AOL's big-time giving occurs-at both the AOL Foundation and the Stephen Case Foundation-on the tax returns available he could not find that a dime had gone to a gay organization of any kind, while we now know that millions of dollars goes toward conservative and anti-gay organizations, Gay.com, October 23, 2000.

$8 Million Gift by AOL's Case Draws Protest

Gay rights advocates expressed concern today over an $8.35 million donation by Stephen M. Case, the chairman of America Online, and his wife, Jean, to a Florida school that is affiliated with a church that seeks to "cure" homosexuals, New York Times (requires free registration to access), October 21, 2000.

Private Money, Public Statement

The $8.35 million given by Jean Case, wife of AOL founder and CEO Steve Case, to Westminster Academy in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., continues to create a controversy being covered by both mainstream and LGBT media, GLAADAlert, October 20, 2000.

Case Cash for Coral Ridge School

When the wife of America Online's CEO gave $8 million to her alma mater, the school's connection to a religious right group did not go unnoticed, PlanetOut, October 19, 2000.

AOL Chief Case's Gift to Christian School Offends Gay Activists

A recent $8.35 million gift from America Online CEO Steve Case and his wife, Jean, to her high school alma mater in Fort Lauderdale has raised the hackles of gay activists across the nation, Miami Herald, October 19, 2000.

HRC Questions AOL Chief's Donation to Coral Ridge Ministries

The Case Foundation issued a statement late Thursday afternoon to explain the multi-million dollar donation Jean Case and her husband, AOL chairman Steve Case, gave to a private school run by an anti-gay ministry, Gay.com, October 19, 2000.

AOL Chief Donates $8 Million to Church that Funds Ex-Gay Ministry

America Online chairman Steve Case and his wife, Jean, donated over $8 million last month to a school run by the Rev. James Kennedy, whose church also sponsors anti-gay programs including the "ex-gay ministry" Worthy Creations, Gay.com, October 18, 2000.

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Additional Resources

Online Service Provider Assessment Project

This project provides a standard means for testing online services and determining how they treat certain types of content and constituents.

AOL OSPA Project

The first online service provider to be surveyed by the OSPA project is America Online (AOL) and the first topic area was lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) content. Lots more work needs to be done to extend the report to other communities who may face bias, discrimination, or defamation. Help is also needed to produce a report that can be used in dialog with AOL and to keep our communities informed about AOL's policies and practices.

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