Church with pastor who praised Orlando massacre asked to move Church's property manager: We will not tolerate tenants who advocate hatred

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KCRA) —The property manager of Verity Baptist Church asked the organization to leave the Northgate Business Park due to comments made by one of their pastors praising the Orlando massacre.

In a statement released to KCRA Tuesday, Harsch Investment Properties said while they respect free speech, "we will not tolerate tenants who advocate hatred and the taking of innocent lives."

Harsch Investment Properties said the company has many places of worship on the properties it manages and their occupancy rights are protected in their leases.



less Mourners gather at a candlelight vigil at Lake Eola Park in downtown Orlando, Fla., to honor the victims of a mass shooting on Sunday, June 12, 2016. The shooting took place in the early morning hours of Sunday, June 12, at an Orlando nightclub called Pulse. Mourners gather at a candlelight vigil at Lake Eola Park in downtown Orlando, Fla., to honor the victims of a mass shooting on Sunday, June 12, 2016. The shooting took place in the early morning hours of ... more Photo: Loren Elliott, Associated Press Photo: Loren Elliott, Associated Press Image 1 of / 85 Caption Close Church with pastor who praised Orlando massacre asked to move 1 / 85 Back to Gallery

"We communicated our views to Verity Baptist Church, and while their lease does not expire until 3/31/17, we have asked them to consider moving out of our business park, and we would immediately cancel their lease without any penalty to them," Harsch Investment Properties said in the statement.

During a sermon immediately following the Orlando shooting, where 49 people were killed at a gay nightclub, Pastor Roger Jimenez said he wasn't sad the people were killed.

"I'm kind of upset that he didn't finish the job because these people are predators," Jimenez said.

The sermon was recorded and posted on YouTube. His comments gained national attention and backlash from communities not just in the Sacramento area, but across the country.

Jimenez would not respond to questions about the property manager's request to move. Instead, he requested time for a live, uninterrupted statement on KCRA 3 News, terms our station did not accept.

At least two protests were held on the property, the most recent one was on Sunday. At least 1,000 people chanted "shame on you" and "love conquers hate" Sunday morning.

The statement from Harsch Investment Properties is being applauded by those who condemned Jimenez, including Beverly Kearney, who helped organize protests against the church.

"I think it's amazing that, you know, the property management company is supportive of our community, that they clearly do not condone Pastor Jimenez's comments," Kearney said.

While the landlord's statement is only a request, it may also have legal standing. Sacramento lawyer Jessica Warne, who specializes in real estate law, said any illegal activity could violate the lease.

"It's a first amendment issue, he has the right to speak freely, but he doesn't have the right to incite people to violence and that is a crime under California law," Warne said.

Kearney believes the landlord's response is a step in the right direction.

"Obviously, we wish they could just be like you're gone," she said. "But, we understand that there are legal issues surrounding that."

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READ the full statement from Harsch Investment Properties below:

Harsch Investment Properties, the owner of the Northgate Business Park, and all our staff are shocked and saddened by the tragic events in Orlando. Like all Americans, we grieve for the fallen and injured. In the 66 years since our company was founded, we have stood for the rights of all individuals, regardless of race, religion, gender or sexual orientation, to live their lives and follow their dreams.

We stand with those who make their voices heard: Intolerance and hate are not the values that have made our country great.

We respect the right of every individual's free speech, even when we disagree with their views. This is certainly the case with our tenant Verity Baptist Church and its Pastor Roger Jimenez.

We have many places of worship and other religious organizations in the properties we manage. Like all our tenants, their occupancy rights are protected in their leases, but we will not tolerate tenants who advocate hatred and the taking of innocent lives.

We communicated our views to Verity Baptist Church, and while their lease does not expire until 3/31/17, we have asked them to consider moving out of our business park, and we would immediately cancel their lease without any penalty to them.

Just as we respect the right of individuals to speak their views, as distasteful as they may be, we also respect the right of others to protest as a reflection of their values. We would ask that any protest be peaceful, have proper permits and respect the rights of all of our tenants at Northgate Business Park. Please do not take this as any less of a commitment on the part of our company to continue to work with Verity Baptist Church to move out of our park. For decades, the owners and staff at Harsch Investment Properties have supported the LGBTQ community and many other organizations whose missions are to further respect, dignity and the ability for all individuals to live their lives as they wish.

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KCRA's Tom Miller and Maneeza Iqbal contributed to this story.

This story originally appeared on KCRA.com.