Woman loses teaching job after parent finds private Facebook post

Charlotte* was very happy with her job at a private high school in Sydney's west, but it was stripped away from her when a parent told the school about a Facebook post.

Charlotte* was a music teacher at a Christian private school in western Sydney for just over two years.

The practising Christian rang choirs for more than 175 students and taught classes every day.

“I can’t even express how much I loved my job,” she said.

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However, The Age reports a parent found out that Charlotte was in a same-sex relationship during the April school holidays after looking through her Facebook.

“I got a text message from the principal saying: ‘Sorry to intrude in your non-term time, but I’ve sent you a very important email and I need you to address it immediately,” the teacher told The Age.

Charlotte had tried to keep her relationship secret from the school since it started in January.

She wasn’t friends with any of the parents, so she’s not sure how someone found out about her relationship, but she knows it ended her career at the school.

During a meeting with the school principal, Charlotte was told she couldn’t return to the classroom.

The Age reports an email sent by the principal four days after the meeting said Charlotte was in a relationship “contrary to the College’s doctrines and beliefs”.

“Your post on Facebook is a public expression of your sexuality which is in direct contradiction with the values and beliefs of the College,” the email reportedly said.

“In turn, this public expression has raised concerns amongst parents of the College community.

“Equally, your engagement in a same-sex relationship is a breach of your employment contract.”

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Charlotte* was fired after her religious school found out about her same-sex relationship. Picture: The Age

"I uphold the values of Christ"

Charlotte was stood down for two weeks and unable to attend the school campus unless for a prearranged meeting.

She was also told by the school to treat the matter with “appropriate discretion”.

The Age reports Charlotte provided a written reply a week later, where she stressed the “profound joy” she felt while working at the College.

“I truly cherish every moment as I am able to combine my passion for music education with the opportunity to express my faith,” she wrote.

“In the classroom, I have cultivated a strong rapport with our students, and it warms my heart to hear them declare on a daily basis, 'Music day is my favourite day', with such enthusiasm and sincerity.

“I can’t express the enormity of the emotional toll it has taken on me to find out that one parent has witnessed a post, then shared it amongst the parent chat groups over the holidays like gossip. The effect that this has had on my mental health is significant and I am now seeking therapy to process the lack of dignity and respect shown.

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“I uphold the values of Christ and [the school] – I believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God and it provides for me a guiding doctrine and practice.”

Despite her impassioned response, The Age reports Charlotte was terminated nine days later.

“The recent developments in your circumstances place you at odds with the doctrines and teachings of the College and with the expectations we hold for all our staff to align with the College’s doctrines and beliefs,” the principal wrote.

“I have formed the view that this places you in breach of the conditions of your employment as set out in your employment contract. Subsequently I regretfully advise you that your employment with the College is terminated, effective immediately.”

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"I just wanted to do my job"

Charlotte told The Age she was always concerned she would lose her job one day, particularly under the current exemptions to the Sex Discrimination Act that allows religious schools to fire staff because of their gender identity or sexuality.

“It’s in my contract, so I wasn’t under any illusion as to what their viewpoint of homosexuality was,” she said.

“But I’m a Christian, I’m a person of faith, and my sexuality was never part of my professionalism and never came into my classroom.

“I wasn’t trying to be deceitful to the school, I just wanted to do my job and I know I do a good job of it.

“Everyone who knows me knows how much I loved that job and how passionate I was about it.”

Chief executive of Equality Australia, Anna Brown, told The Age Charlotte’s experience was “not surprising”.

“While the government waits to introduce its bill, there are people being fired because of relationships that are legal and have nothing to do with their work,” she said.

“There are parents who can’t enrol their children in local schools, and kids too scared to be themselves because they fear being expelled, bullied or denied opportunities.

“Actions like this do not represent who we are as a country. The government made a commitment to fix this at the last election, and it’s time they made good on their promise to all Australians.”

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"My sexuality isn't my values, it's who I am"

However, Mark Spencer from Christian Schools Australia told The Age the school acted in a way that parents would expect.

“Our schools are clear on what they are and what they believe,” he said.

“Many schools might take a different position and there are different schools this teacher could teach at, and in the current climate she wouldn’t have any trouble finding a new job.

“For the school, if they don’t have staff who share those beliefs, it becomes plain, vanilla, where our schools are no different to government schools.

“All we’re looking for in changes to the law is to continue to be able to teach what we believe, to hire and fire, if we need to, staff who don’t share those beliefs, and to be the authentic Christian schools that parents are choosing.”

Charlotte disagrees, saying she has a strong Christian faith and her sexuality didn’t change that.

“My values do align with the school’s values. I am a person of very strong faith,” she said.

“My sexuality isn’t my value, my sexuality is who I am.”

*Names have been changed

Originally published as Woman loses teaching job after parent finds private Facebook post