Nicholas Sparks is accused of being a racist, homophobic anti-Semite in a new lawsuit filed by the ex-headmaster of the Christian school Sparks founded.
The bestselling author, whose books have been turned into a string of movies like The Notebook, founded the Epiphany School for Global Studies in 2006.
According to Saul Hillel Benjamin, the school’s former headmaster, Sparks engaged in a pattern of racist and otherwise appalling behavior while dealing with Benjamin and the school’s students.
Sparks attorneys, however, deny the allegations.
In the court filing, first obtained by TMZ, Benjamin says only two of the institution’s 514 pupils were black, and that when Benjamin asked Sparks about the lack of diversity, the author replied, “Black students are too poor and can’t do the academic work.”
Sparks allegedly became furious when Benjamin met with the local NAACP chapter in North Carolina, supposedly telling him to “engage only in private and less visible contact with African-Americans.”
Benjamin additionally claims Sparks turned a blind eye to complaints from gay students about bullying, even supporting a group that said it wanted to stage a “Homo-caust.”
The ex-headmaster also says Sparks forced him to stand up in front of the school and defend his Jewish heritage, and that parents insulted him as the school board cheered.
When Benjamin was fired, he alleges that Sparks told people to ignore Benjamin’s claims because he was suffering from Alzheimer’s.
In a statement issued to Extreme Entertainment, Sparks’ entertainment attorney, Scott Schwimer, says, “As a gay, Jewish man who has represented Nick for almost 20 years I find these allegations completely ludicrous and offensive.”
And Theresa Sprain, who’s handling this lawsuit, also says in a statement to Extreme Entertainment, “We deny these allegations as presented in the complaint. We will vigorously defend this matter and look forward to pursuing any available remedies.”
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