The business was called out for 'homophobic behaviour'
A Christian school in Brisbane had faced recent backlash after a controversy erupted that it asked its teachers to sign employment contracts that state “being openly homosexual” is a ground for dismissal.
The “homophobic behaviour” involving Citipointe Christian College, a private primary and high school, came to light after one of its teachers lost his employment for refusing to sign the said document in February.
According to reports, the employer told the staff that “expressing human sexuality incompatible with college faith could constitute a breach of employment.”
“Nothing in his/her deliberate conduct should be incompatible with the intrinsic character of their position, especially, but not only, in relation to the expression of human sexuality through heterosexual, monogamous relationships, expressed intimately through marriage,” the employer further said in a News.com.au report.
The contracts also stated that “any form of sexual immorality (including but not limited to adultery, fornication, homosexual acts, bisexual acts, bestiality, incest, paedophilia and pornography) is sinful and offensive to God and is destructive to human relationships and society.”
According to The Guardian, the employer’s discriminatory position had already garnered heavy scrutiny early this year, resulting in the school’s withdrawal of the contracts, a public apology to its students, and an appointment of a new principal.
As to the enforceability of the contracts, under Queensland’s anti-discrimination laws, they were “most likely unlawful,” LGBTI service lawyer Matilda Alexander told The Guardian.
“It seeks to prohibit conduct that is not in connection with the workplace by stopping an employee acting in a way that is contrary to the religious beliefs of the college, whether or not this is done openly,” Alexander said.
“This is far beyond the power of any employer in Queensland. We all have the right to attend work and pursue our own personal lives outside of work, even if working for a religious school,” Alexander added.
Queensland Attorney-General Shannon Fentiman also told the media that people who experienced discriminatory conduct in the workplace should file a complaint.
“It is absolutely appalling to see these awful and damaging clauses in the employment contracts for Citipointe College teachers – especially after the recent outrage and controversy around their student enrolment forms,” Fentiman said.
Meanwhile, the employer said that its staff’s “employment conditions” were “under review,” as reported by The Guardian.
As for the teachers and their representative, the Independent Education Union Queensland, the group maintained that the contracts were “inherently unfair” and “out of step with modern community expectations.”
The controversy is the second time in 2022 that the employer has received backlash for discrimination after the school asked families to sign a document that stated “homosexuality is immoral and offensive to God,” News.com.au reported.
