Nicholas Sparks sorry for 'appearing intolerant' of LGBT pupils at his school

After leaks showed him banning an LGBT club at the Christian school he co-founded, the novelist apologises for any hurt caused

Romance novelist Nicholas Sparks has apologised for “potentially hurt[ing] young people and members of the LGBTQ community”, after leaked emails showed him banning students from forming an LGBT club at a school he co-founded.

The Daily Beast published emails from Sparks last week, in which the novelist criticised the headmaster of Epiphany school in North Carolina for “what some perceive as an agenda that strives to make homosexuality open and accepted”. Sparks told the former headmaster, Saul Benjamin, who launched a lawsuit against him in 2014, that his decision to stop LGBT students from forming a club was “NOT discrimination”, adding: “Remember, we’ve had gay students before, many of them … [The previous headmaster] handled it quietly and wonderfully … I expect you to do the same.”

Related: Nicholas Sparks defends diversity record at school after emails leak

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