Parents of students enrolled in the Rock Academy church school in San Diego, CA, were upset to discover that concealed small cell antennas had been installed on the building without their knowledge. According to The Roys Report, T-Mobile (NASDAQ: TMUS) and Rock Church initiated the project in 2022, but did not share these plans with parents. In early 2023, an alert mom spotted a cellular antenna and spread the word to other parents.
“The Rock Church and Academy decided to lease a portion of its Point Loma campus building roof to T-Mobile for a cell phone antenna to generate additional income for the ministry,” commented church spokesperson Meiling Nazar. “The Rock’s congregants and parents expressed concerns about the cell antenna installation, and as a church, we are heartbroken to see how our decision has affected the Rock’s parents and families.”
The issue has been complicated by a thorny relationship between T-Mobile and the megachurch. The two were in discussions to remove the cell site equipment in March 2023, but the school barred T-Mobile from coming on to the property. A writ of mandate was filed by parents the following month asking the city of San Diego to stop the cell site installation at the school. That action is currently on appeal. In January 2024, T-Mobile filed a lawsuit against Rock Church claiming breach of contract. T-Mobile also asked the court to allow it to activate the cell site equipment.
In an official statement released by Rock Church, the organization apologized to parents for the way the decision regarding the cell tower equipment has been handled. “We realized that it was a mistake to sign the contract without first having a discussion with staff and parents and we sincerely apologized, and apologize for the stress that this has caused,” the megachurch noted. The Roys Report did not comment on whether or not the church intended to keep its agreement with T-Mobile, which would financially benefit the school.
Parents worried about the potential health hazards posed by the proximity of the antennas pointed to independent, unverified studies that attempt to link various maladies to RF emissions.
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