A parent of one of the students at a Queensland Christian school had complained about a teacher's live-in arrangement with her boyfriend. In the complaint, the parent said such an act is against the moral standards written in the bible.
'Against Biblical Moral Standards'
A report by the Guardian said a parent complained to Livingstone Christian College Principal Stephen Wilson about a teacher's disclosure of her cohabitation with her boyfriend outside of marriage to a class.
Wilson said the parent expressed concern that the live-in arrangement is against biblical moral standards. The parent also worried about her kid's exposure to "alternative views," according to the news outlet.
Following the parent's complaint, the school principal reportedly started an investigation into the matter, during which he confronted the teacher about her contract breach through her disclosure.
The article said the teacher denied ever making such a comment to her class, including her alleged instruction for the students to keep her relationship disclosure a secret.
During their face-to-face meeting, Wilson inquired about the teacher's present relationship arrangement, but the teacher allegedly left and told the principal to put his question in writing. Wilson reportedly emailed the teacher as requested.
In it, Wilson told the teacher about her alleged relationship disclosure, saying the teacher "told the class you didn't think there was anything wrong with that position and requested confidentiality from the class," the Guardian quoted Wilson's email saying.
"I understand and support the parent's views both as a parent and a principal, and Christian Community Ministries schools seek to eliminate this problem through employment contracts which require staff to sign a lifestyle clause which commits to living in support of biblical morals," the email added.
The news outlet said the principal also asked students about the alleged disclosure incident, but no one in the class could remember such an event. Wilson said even the student who alleged the teacher's disclosure did not affirm it.
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Queensland Law's Religious Discrimination Provision
According to the article, Queensland law does not prohibit religious schools from discriminating against employees but only in instances where it is a "genuine occupational requirement."
It added that discrimination should be done to guide the employee to behave consistently with the employer's religious beliefs.
However, the Queensland Human Rights Commission sought to overhaul the said law, anchored on a "don't ask, don't tell" manner.
The article noted that religious schools could only discriminate against employees on the weight of their actions but not on their private relationships.
Teacher Issues Statement on the Issue
The unnamed English teacher told the Guardian that she filed her resignation from the school following the investigation.
While the teacher acknowledged knowing about the school's lifestyle code, she was unaware that her private relationship had anything to do with it. The teacher also claimed the school never asked her about it during the hiring process.
"I was absolutely horrified at the thought my personal life was any of [the school's] business," the teacher told the news outlet.
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