Good Shepherd Lutheran Principal steps down amid review into social media scandal
The principal of a prestigious Christian school will not seek a further contract following a social media and porn scandal that will soon be subject to an independent review.
Education
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The principal of a prestigious Christian school embroiled in a social media scandal will finish up at the end of the year.
Anthony Dyer will not seek a fourth five-year contract at Good Shepherd Lutheran College in Noosaville, and recruitment has begun for his replacement.
It comes after The Courier-Mail revealed the school failed to report to police the distribution of pornography by Year 7 and 8 students almost three months after being made aware of it.
An alarmed parent told the school about the potentially illegal material on Snapchat – which included pedophilia and bestiality – on February 27 but its governing body, Lutheran Education Queensland, did not report it to police until May 16.
A Noosa Heads boy was subsequently charged with one count of carriage service to menace, harass or cause offence, but remained at the Prep-Year 12 school.
In a letter emailed to parents and staff on July 25, college council chair Chris Roche said Mr Dyer was the school’s longest serving principal and had led “a time of transformation and responsiveness to internal and external change”.
“Mr Dyer has indicated his intention is to take a sabbatical year before deciding how best to continue serving young people through the work of Lutheran schools.” Mr Roche said.
The announcement comes after Mr Dyer told parents an independent review would be conducted into “the misuse of social media by students that was reported in the weeks at the end of last term and actions arising from this”.
In a July 16 email, Mr Dyer said: “It has become clear that there could be greater awareness of the college’s current approach to the use of electronic devices and mobile phones in particular.
“The Council for Lutheran Education Queensland (CLEQ), with the support of the Lutheran Church of Australia Queensland District’s Church Board have decided to engage an independent reviewer to consider the matters raised and how these matters were responded to,” he wrote.
“Any recommendations determined by CLEQ as needing to be implemented will be implemented under the oversight of CLEQ and they will have the full support of the college.
“We acknowledge that there are some questions that remain unanswered at this stage.”
Mr Dyer said communication of the current police regarding electronic devices would be sent to parents.
“We will also outline our escalating response should students not meet expectations,” he said.
The probe follows several complaints from parents, including one who wrote to Bishop Mark Vainikka on June 21, requesting the Lutheran Church investigate why the school did not report the potentially illegal online material to police – and why it took the school’s governing body several months to do so.
As the scandal unfolded, the school took the extraordinary step of stopping parents from posting on their year-level social media pages.
Many families have sought alternative schools from 2026, including St Andrew’s Anglican College in Peregian Springs, Sunshine Coast Grammar School in Forest Glen and St Teresa’s Catholic College in Noosaville.
Others have withdrawn their children already and are homeschooling or using distance education.
kylie.lang@news.com.au
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