Hillsong accused of leaking private details of students from their secret files

A Hillsong College student who revealed a traumatic incident to a leader says her confidentiality was breached.

Hillsong kept secret files on its members that included confidential private details that were leaked, former students claim.

The documents were allegedly kept on every student at the college in north western Sydney, which has more than 14,000 graduates.

Hillsong asks students about their sexual activity when they arrive at the college and whether they have gotten drunk or watched pornography in the past 12 months.

Students allege their answers to those questions were kept in those files.

A former Hillsong College student has claimed confidential details about past abuse were leaked. Picture: File

Some of the students asked about their personal, intimate details have been victims of abuse.

Former Hillsong College student Zoe, who asked for her name to be changed, disclosed to a leader that she had been abused as a child.

“I had some reasonable expectation of confidentiality. But that’s definitely not the case,” Zoe told the Faith On Trial podcast.

Zoe claims that within days of her confidential discussion she was being asked about it by other people at Hillsong.

“I do remember that after I had this conversation with my tutorial leader who said ‘You know, it’s possible that God brought you to a safe place to heal’.

“And I’m like, okay, well, that came out of nowhere at the time I was discussing an assessment.

“So it definitely makes you think, wow, these people share everything.”

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Zoe claims she asked for her student file from Hillsong but never received a response.

Other students have revealed they were able to get copies of their records.

Hillsong details on its website that it asks students about their sexual activity but adds: “We have never authorised questions about masturbation and have no knowledge of this.”

Another former student told the Faith on Trial podcast she was directly asked that question.

“Have you had sex, had you drank, have you done drugs, Have you done any of these things? Have you masturbated?,” she said.

“Have you done all these things that in their mind is not good to be doing? Have you watched porn like all those things?

Hillsong College is accused of leaking private details of students. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Damian Shaw

“And then if you say yes to any of those things, they basically put you on like a little probation period and they don’t allow you to be on stage because they don’t see you for the stage. It’s pretty messed up.”

Hillsong was sent specific questions about the details it keeps on student files last week and on the thousands of documents tabled in federal parliament about the church’s finances.

The church’s media manager said it was “in the process of preparing a detailed response to the Whistleblower statement tabled in parliament on Thursday 9th March 2023.”

“Much of the information tabled is misleading, out of context and in some cases factually incorrect. With this in mind (we) ask you not to report these allegations as facts.”

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Originally published as Hillsong accused of leaking private details of students from their secret files