A music trainer who informed the administration of Sydney Catholic Faculties she was transitioning was allegedly requested to maneuver to a distinct faculty earlier than being given no shifts for a 12 months.
Sydney girl Zoe Conolan-Glen lodged a discrimination criticism with the Australian Human Rights Fee in July 2024, which was referred to the federal courtroom on 18 December, claiming the possible faculty’s administration additionally requested intrusive questions, together with which workers lavatory she would use and the way she would react if a mother or father complained about her id.
Throughout New South Wales, Western Australia, Queensland and South Australia, LGBTQ+ lecturers, particularly these working at spiritual colleges, can lose their jobs if they’re open about their identities.
Federally, the spiritual discrimination debate is at an deadlock. And whereas rights and protections for LGBTQ+ individuals in NSW had been strengthened with the passing of the equality invoice in October 2024, many advocates raised considerations that protections for lecturers and college students at personal colleges had been dumped.
Conolan-Glen, who’s being represented by Redfern Authorized Centre, had labored throughout three colleges run by Sydney Catholic Faculties as a part-time music trainer since 2021.
In December 2023, she informed the organisation she was a girl, and must be referred to along with her right title and pronouns.
Conolan-Glen alleged Sydney Catholic Faculties, which operates 150 colleges across the metropolis, then advised she be moved to a different faculty in 2024, so she wouldn’t have to elucidate her change in look to college students.
She agreed to this request, however previous to the 2024 faculty 12 months beginning she was not allotted a brand new faculty or supplied any roles that concerned face-to-face educating, as she had allegedly been led to anticipate could be the case.
In accordance with Conolan-Glen’s assertion of declare, the organisation allegedly despatched her a letter in March 2024, expressing concern concerning her “observable male characteristics” and welcoming her to take depart with no pay till the top of the 12 months.
Conolan-Glen rejected the invitation and was then allegedly supplied an administrative function with out pupil contact, in addition to a proposal to take unpaid depart.
In June 2024, at a gathering with one other potential faculty it, it’s alleged a senior workers member questioned Conolan-Glen on what lavatory she would use, how she would reply to intrusive questions from college students about her id and what she would do if a mother or father complained.
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The workers member additionally allegedly advised that earlier than Conolan-Glen began on the faculty, Sydney Catholic Faculties“send an internal communication to all staff informing them that [she] was a transgender woman,” the assertion of declare stated.
When she didn’t agree, the assertion of declare detailed, Sydney Catholic Faculties didn’t proceed with allocating her to the varsity.
In a press release, Conolan-Glen informed Guardian Australia that each one she ever wished to do was train.
“I’ve been teaching my whole working life,” she stated. “My parents and grandparents were teachers. That’s all I want to do, and my gender shouldn’t be a barrier to that.”
A spokesperson for Sydney Catholic Faculties stated they might not remark because the matter was earlier than the federal courtroom.
“Sydney Catholic Schools have filed our response to the claims of anti-discrimination made in the case and believe it is essential for the privacy and dignity of all involved that we limit comment,” the spokesperson stated.
In 2024, analysis from Equality Australia discovered discrimination in opposition to LGBTQ+ individuals was endemic in spiritual colleges and organisations across the nation.
Equality Australia’s CEO, Anna Brown, stated college students and lecturers are routinely discriminated in opposition to due to their identities.
“We know of students who have been forced out of school or told they are going to hell, and we know of teachers who have been fired from their jobs or denied promotions,” she stated.
“For every person who speaks out there are countless more who have been discriminated against, or are hiding who they are, because they want to keep their jobs or stay in school.”
