Insider at Catholic school involved in lawsuit over non-binary teacher says the college has a culture of acceptance
The Catholic school at the centre of a national test case over the rights of a non-binary teacher is already inclusive, college insiders say.
Sources at a Catholic girls’ college at the centre of a teacher’s legal bid to be recognised as non-binary say their school is respectful of gender diversity.
The teacher, Myka Sanders, has launched legal action in the Melbourne Magistrates Court, asserting they were not formally supported as a non-binary staff member at Sacred Heart Girls’ College in Oakleigh.
Mx Sanders alleges they were reprimanded for using they/them pronouns, told off for having pride stickers on their laptop and told they could not officially be known as “Mx” instead of “Mr”.
However, Sacred Heart Girls’ College sources say their school has long been accommodating of gender and sexually diverse people.
The teacher is already called “Mx Sanders” by staff and students.
“Sometimes someone may forget, but it’s an oversight; it’s not to make a point,” the school insider said.
“At our school the year-level staff wear rainbow lanyards and we’ve had non-binary students who have had positive experiences, and there are plenty of staff with rainbow stickers on their laptops,” another school community member said.
“Like most large workplaces, there has always been a range of gender diverse staff but none that have made specific demands.”
The source said people have “never been made to feel uncomfortable ... we are being portrayed as very conservative but it’s not the case”.
Another person from the school said the teacher “isn’t the first gay or non-binary persona at the college”.
The court battle, listed for next month, will be a test case of federal laws allowing religious schools to discriminate on the basis of pregnancy, marital status, gender identity or sexual orientation. Mx Sanders is being supported by the Independent Education Union.
Some states such as Victoria have additional protections in place and only allow religious schools to discriminate on the basis of gender or sexuality if it is reasonable and proportionate and in line with the doctrines of the school.
It comes as religious schools, including Catholic schools, continue to insist that staff uphold strict lifestyle requirements in line with religious beliefs.
The body that runs Sacred Heart Girls’ College, Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS), is fighting against formal recognition of Mx Sanders’ pronouns and gender identity as being “against Catholic anthropology”.
MACS’s code of conduct says staff must “uphold the teachings of the Catholic Church, ensuring responsible and ethical conduct while also modelling these optimal actions for students and all members of the MACS community”.
The Catholic Church continues to view marriage only between a man and woman, with those in same-sex relationships advised to “seek pastoral counselling”. It also notes that humans have always been “fundamentally binary – male or female”.
Many other Christian schools continue to threaten staff with termination for failing to abide by statements of faith that says there are “no other God-given gender definitions or expressions” and that a “marriage should only be between a male and a female”.
The Australian Christian Lobby released a statement on Thursday backing MACS signed by nearly 700 Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Christian, Baptist and Gospel ministers and pastors.
Equality Australia legal director Heather Corkhill said federal anti-discrimination laws “are out of step with modern community values and urgently need reform”.
“Every Australian deserves clear and equal protection under the law. We have found Australians are shocked to learn that a religious school can legally dismiss a woman for falling pregnant outside of marriage or expel a student simply for being gay – and yet broad exemptions in federal law allow these schools to operate by their own rules,” Ms Corkhill said.
A MACS spokeswoman said: “Myka Sanders remains a valued and respected member of the teaching staff at Sacred Heart Girls College. As legal proceedings are underway, MACS will not make further comment at this time.”
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Originally published as Insider at Catholic school involved in lawsuit over non-binary teacher says the college has a culture of acceptance
