Approximately 6,000 of the 7,500 faculty members of the DeKalb County School System attended a mandatory meeting this week at New Birth Missionary Church, which is led by Bishop Eddie Long, an outspoken gay rights opponent, and offers a ministry designed to convert gay people to heterosexuality.

Some gay teachers, as well as others who didn’t want to attend the school meeting in the Lithonia church, were able to either watch the meeting via satellite at their home school or at other venues provided by the system.

While rumors swirled that teachers who did not want to attend the meeting at New Birth would have to give their names or a written reason for not attending, those allegations were false, according to DCSS spokesperson Dale Davis.

“There was no pressure. We made alternate sites available,” he said.

“Teachers don’t have to fear retribution. Regardless of who a teacher is, he or she did not have to attend the meeting at New Birth,” he added. “I don’t know why this meeting took the turn it did. There was nothing political about this. There was no hidden agenda.”

The system did pay the church $5,000 for use of its facilities, Davis said.