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

Rising Generations apologizes, says ‘employee’ was reprimanded

By LOU CHIBBARO JR. | lchibbaro@washblade.com

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 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

“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.”