The principal of Citipointe Christian College, Pastor Brian Mulheran, has rejected claims his school is discriminating against gay and trans students by asking parents to sign an enrolment contract agreeing to a series of statements about gender and sexuality.
The enrolment contract drawn up by the Brisbane school states "the college will only enrol the student on the basis of the gender that corresponds to their biological sex" and says homosexuality is "sinful", like bestiality, incest and paedophilia.
In a six-minute video sent to parents this week, Mr Mulheran said the school does not judge students on their sexuality or gender identity.
He said during his time at the school, no students had been expelled or refused enrolment on the basis they are gay or transgender.
“We would not make a decision about a student's enrolment in the college simply on that basis,” Mr Mulheran said.
"We believe that each individual is created in the image of God and that we are all equal.
“It is central to our faith that being gay or transgender in no way diminishes a person's humanity with dignity in God's eyes.”
The principal claimed he had met with more than 450 families over the past 14 months during the initial enrolment period, and that all of them had acknowledged the school’s “Christian ethos”.
“The college has always believed and taught the view that sexuality is something that school-aged children should hold sacred and that they should keep themselves for their lifetime marriage partner, in accordance with a biblical understanding of marriage,” Mr Mulheran said.
Queensland Education Minister Grace Grace said Citipointe Christian College's contract was "very distressing". Source: AAP
Queensland's education minister Grace Grace, who has a non-binary child, said her department received complaints from parents and students of the college.
She said the contracts were “unacceptable” and urged the school to withdraw them as soon as possible.
"There is no need to put this additional stress with this hanging over the head of students simply because of their, you know, sexual orientation or their gender identity," she told reporters in a press conference on Tuesday.
"We've had a couple of years of very disruptive schooling with COVID, we certainly don't need this now."
"And we certainly don't need this kind of contract to go out without consultation, is what I understand, on a Friday afternoon before they're due to start their senior [year] online.
"The timing, I think is very inappropriate.”
Acting Federal Education Minister Stuart Robert said he would be speaking with Ms Grace about the matter on Friday.
“It’s important we understand that every Australian child has the right to go to school,” Mr Robert said on ABC radio.
“I think the school needs to show a lot more grace.”
Nationals MP Angie Bell also criticised the school, but said the contracts may be allowed under the current federal sex discrimination laws.
"I don't agree with [Citipointe] lumping students, who are unsure about their sexuality or unsure about their gender identity, I don't agree with them lumping them in with the likes of paedophiles and adulterers," she told ABC Radio.
Stuart Robert leaves after Question Time in the House of Representatives at Parliament House in Canberra, Wednesday, December 2, 2020. Source: AAP
Does the school receive government funding?
The most recent figures show Citipointe Christian College received more than $14.5 million in both state and federal funding in 2019.
The school received $10.88 million from the federal government in 2019, according to the .
While the Queensland government granted the school $3.69 million in 2010.
The school also received $15.28 million in fees, charges and parent contributions.
What are the legal responsibilities for safeguarding students' mental health?
Queensland’s Anti-Discrimination Act explicitly states that detrimental treatment of people on the grounds of “sexuality” and “gender identity” is prohibited.
One area in which such discrimination is forbidden is “education”.
Section 38 and 39 of the act states "an educational authority must not discriminate ... in failing to accept a person’s application for admission as a student ... or in any variation of the terms of a student’s enrolment".
However, under the Commonwealth’s Sex Discrimination Act, a religious institution doesn’t act unlawfully when it “discriminates” against a person on the ground of the other person's sexual orientation or gender identity if it does so in “good faith in order to avoid injury to the religious susceptibilities of adherents of that religion or creed.”
What happens next?
The school now faces a possible review of its state funding and anti-discrimination action over the enrolment contacts.
Ms Grace said she has limited powers as state education minister as Citipointe Christian College is an independent Protestant school.
She has referred the matter to the Non-State Schools Accreditation Board, which monitors independent schools.
The board consists of seven members appointed by the governor in council. Members are appointed for not more than four years but are eligible for reappointment.
Ms Grace said parents of the school have referred their complaints to the Queensland Human Rights Commission, which will investigate whether the school has complied with the state’s human rights legislation.
She said the Queensland Human Rights Commissioner had warned the school it "cannot contract out of your legally binding anti-discrimination laws in this state".
“It is wrong to make students who are members of the LGBTIQ+ community feel inferior, not welcome and not accepted. That's completely unacceptable in this day and age,” she told ABC radio.
“Our priority as a society is to protect kids.”
SBS News contacted Citipointe Christian College for comment.
