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Parents of students at St Catherine’s school in Sydney have rejected an Anglican diocese requirement for new principal to sign an anti-same-sex marriage statement. Photograph: Ben Birchall/PA
Parents of students at St Catherine’s school in Sydney have rejected an Anglican diocese requirement for new principal to sign an anti-same-sex marriage statement. Photograph: Ben Birchall/PA

Parents at Sydney Anglican school St Catherine’s reject ‘hurtful’ anti-same-sex marriage statement

This article is more than 1 year old

More than 80% of parents are opposed to requirement by conservative Sydney diocese for incoming principal to sign anti-same-sex marriage pledge

Parents at Sydney Anglican school St Catherine’s are preparing for a fight after publicly rejecting a new requirement for incoming principals to sign a statement that marriage is between a man and a woman, with some same-sex parents saying the statement is deeply hurtful.

St Catherine’s principal is leaving and her successor – to be appointed by a council dominated by representatives of the anti-same-sex marriage Anglican church diocese of Sydney – will be the first principal required to sign the relatively new rule in place for diocese-run schools.

With term two finishing on Friday, and a minimum two terms’ notice required to announce a new head, parents expect the incoming principal will be announced imminently.

One parent, who wished to remain anonymous, is part of a same-sex relationship and said the incoming principal would face “stark opposition” if they didn’t align with the school’s values of inclusion and diversity.

“It’s a very inclusive, diverse school – it’s a loving and accepting school community … we want it to remain that way,” she said.

The parent is part of the Love School Group, a coalition of parents lobbying for the new head to reject the statement of faith and sign an inclusion and diversity policy.

They say they weren’t consulted on the revision and only became aware of it through an article published in the Sydney Morning Herald in May, despite paying annual fees of up to $37,000.

The parent said if the requirement was in place when she was enrolling her daughter at the school her decision “would’ve been very different”.

“It was brought in without our knowledge or any school community consultation,” she said. “It’s completely out of touch.”

The parent said the revelations were “very hurtful” to other same-sex families at the school, as well as LGBTQ+ students and staff.

“Our kids would be taught a doctrine contrary to law,” the parent said.

“To have a new head publicly sign a statement that doesn’t recognise my family structure is humiliating and deeply upsetting. It’s very hurtful.”

While same-sex marriage has been legal since 2017, current legislation permits religious schools to discriminate against students and fire staff based on their sexual orientation.

In a statement provided to Guardian Australia, the Love School Group said the requirement fundamentally opposed the “inclusive ethos” of the school and had sparked “unrest” throughout the school community.

An internal survey of more than 840 parents found that in excess of 80% were opposed to the new requirement.

In a letter to parents on 6 May – after the Herald published the revelations – outgoing head Dr Julie Townsend didn’t directly reject the amendment but acknowledged “although we are a diocesan school, we are not the Sydney Diocese”.

“Discriminatory and damaging views have no place in our school,” she wrote.

“We are a community built on love, underpinned by Jesus’ greatest commandment to love our neighbours as ourselves.

“We are blessed to have a diverse, inclusive and compassionate community of staff, students and families.”

On 9 June, the Love School Group sent a formal letter to the school’s council – the majority of whom were appointed by the Sydney diocese – and Anglican archbishop Kanishka Raffel expressing their concerns.

Raffel also serves as council president.

More than a fortnight later, they say no formal response has been received.

About 30 schools within the Anglican church Sydney diocese, including Shore, Kings and Abbotsleigh, are expected to be affected by the clause, due to come into effect for new principals and board members from January of next year.

St Catherine’s is the first school to be directly affected by the employment requirements and is also the first school to come out publicly in opposition to them.

But the Love School Group said it was in “preliminary discussions” with a number of the schools affected and said it had already garnered “widespread support”.

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“It’s a direct clash with the existing culture and threatens to create division or even harm vulnerable children in our community who are exploring their sexuality,” another parent, who wished to remain anonymous, said.

“We have three daughters at St Catherine’s and have a longstanding relationship and love for the school.

“Young people who are exploring their sexuality are two-and-a-half times more likely to experience mental health challenges … this statement and its surrounding character would come at a particularly vulnerable time of life that could damage healthy development.”

Earlier this week, the school held a diversity day that embraced differences in race, religion and sexuality.

Another parent who wished to remain anonymous said ever since the clause came to light, there had been “deep unrest, anxiety and sadness” in the school community.

“This clause is plainly narrow and discriminatory and has no place in our school,” they said.

A spokesperson for St Catherine’s said the school was a “diverse and inclusive community where everyone is welcome and valued”.

“Our parents, students and staff accept and love each other.”

Raffel said the clause only applied to members and leaders of the diocese’s governing bodies and affirmed “the teachings of Jesus, including his teaching on marriage”.

I welcome and am always willing to listen to feedback,” he said. I would say to anyone who is in any doubt, that we want our schools to be places where all students will flourish.”

The issue of same-sex marriage has generated a schism within the Anglican church in Australia and worldwide.

The Sydney diocese contributed $1m to the “no” campaign in the 2017 same-sex marriage plebiscite and has since introduced the statement of faith for principals.

However, the General Synod of the Anglican church in Australia earlier this year refused to endorse the Sydney position against same-sex marriage and many dioceses continue to allow the blessing of same-sex marriages.



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