Former students from several schools responded to the letter, sent by the Anglican Church Diocese of Sydney on October 24 — expressing their concerns for students, staff and the wider school community — fearing the schools’ demands could result in staff being hired and fired based on their sexuality.

Principals from schools including William Clarke College in Kellyville, Trades Norwest Anglican, Rouse Hill Anglican, Abbotsleigh in Wahroonga, Barker College in Hornsby, Arden Anglican in Beecroft and Epping, Tara and The Kings’ School in North Parramatta, Roseville College, Penrith Anglican and Blue Mountains Grammar issued the open letter in response to an excerpt of Philip Ruddock’s Religious Freedom Review widely publicised last month.

Former William Clarke College student Nathan Stormont has issued the Sydney diocese, and in particular his former school, an open letter “expressing our disgust with a decision that both violates human rights and displays how increasingly out of step the church is with contemporary Australia”.

“I think I speak for many students when I say that this was a despicable decision for these principals to take,” Mr Stormont said. “For a lot of people this was a major disappointment and makes me less willing to tell people where I went to school in the future.”

Mr Stormont, who graduated from the school in 2008, said he was horrified when he saw the open letter.

“Our response is calling for a public retraction from these principals and for them to engage in efforts to employ LGBT staff and engage in efforts to foster an inclusive and supportive environment for the entire school community, both past and present.”

Former 2010 school captain Olivia Nunn said the school claims alumni had “grosely misinterpreted the letter”.

“This was a school commenting on the political climate following the Ruddock Review,” she said. “I would like to see a specific statement of the school to clarify their claims or position.”

Ms Nunn said she was “incredibly disappointed to see William Clarke’s name on that list”. “When I was school captian I wasn’t christian, but I still displayed the ethos of the faith,” she said. “It is not appropriate for any school to make this kind of request and the power that they are asking for is just not reasonable.”

William Clarke College Principal Dr Scott Marsh said the school “welcome students and staff regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity or relationship status”.

“I am extremely disappointed at suggestions that William Clarke College would discriminate against a student or indeed staff member on any of these grounds,” Dr Marsh said.

“Unhelpful, uninformed gossip and baseless speculation is unwarranted and damaging for everyone in our community.

“The care of children and young people is at the heart of everything that we do. I am deeply concerned about the confusion and lack of careful examination around this issue.”

While The Kings’ School Headmaster Tony George clarified the school’s stance.

“The purpose of our letter was to counter the beat-up that had come from early reports of the Ruddock Review, rather than allow the Ruddock Review to come out onto a neutral foundation and neutral platform about religious freedom in Australia,” he said.

“The Ruddock Review was being framed as being anti-gay.

“What we have asked for is that there is a replacement. Again the problem is that the Sex Discrimination Act is at this stage the only one that remains (regarding religious freedoms), if the Government removes this without any replacement then Australia has no safeguard at all in terms of religious freedom.”

The open letter from school principals said some schools required “evidence of an active faith that is consistent with the philosophy and ethos of the school”.

“In other schools, there is a preference for employment of active adherents of the faith, but other staff, who may not personally identify with the faith, are still expected to support the overarching mission and ethos of the school,” the letter said.

“This is not inconsistent with the practice of most employers and their corporate goals, let alone political parties.

“It is overly simplistic to state that a teacher merely delivers academic content in the classroom. This ignores the powerful mentor and exemplar role all teachers play, and are expected to play, in the education of young people.”

The principal’s letter said it was “not appropriate, for example, for a teacher to undermine or denigrate the beliefs and teachings of an employing school”.

“This is a reasonable expectation not only of the employing school but also of many parents and families who have chosen the school for their children’s education,” the letter said.