Dad pulls daughter from elite school over trans student

A Geelong Grammar parent has gone to extreme lengths to remove his daughter from the prestigious school after learning she would be boarding alongside a transgender student.

A Geelong Grammar parent has pulled his daughter out of the elite school after a transitioning student was placed in a female dormitory.

Geelong Grammar has written to parents at its Timbertop campus whose daughters are sharing a room with a transitioning student.

The letter, obtained by the Herald Sun, restates the school’s commitment to supporting “all of our students, including those identifying as LGTBTIQ+”.

“Our Inclusivity Policy makes it clear we will respect a student’s gender identity, and that gender identity will be considered when assigning a student to a boarding environment,” the letter says.

It comes after a Geelong Grammar parent went to extreme lengths to remove his daughter from the school after learning she would be boarding with a transgender student.

However, other students at the prestigious coeducational boarding school are standing by their year nine peer who has been transitioning from male to female over a long period of time.

The student will be living in a female dormitory at Geelong Grammar’s Timbertop campus – a move that has enraged one parent who drove from interstate to remove his daughter from the high-country campus.

It’s understood the father was upset the school did not notify him of the student’s presence in his daughter’s dorm.

One parent who spoke to the Herald Sun said there was “support for the student, but we are concerned we were not told about the situation”.

The student who is transitioning is a long term member of the Geelong Grammar community and a long term boarder.

King Charles during his stay at the Timbertop campus in 1966.

Geelong Grammar’s Timbertop campus was attended by King Charles and is one of the most elite educational institutions in the country. Parents pay $84,000 a year in tuition and boarding fees.

A statement from the school said: “At Geelong Grammar School, we believe that a coeducational, inclusive boarding community will enable our students to leave as confident and resilient young adults, strengthened in their capacity to develop meaningful relationships and be well-prepared for life beyond school”.

“Whilst we cannot comment on specific students or circumstances, we can say that we are very open about being an inclusive community and supporting all of our students, including those identifying as LGBTQI+, so they are heard, respected and kept safe in our care,” it said.

“Our inclusivity policy makes it clear we will respect a student’s gender identity, and that gender identity will be considered when assigning a student to a boarding environment.

“Our longstanding policy on inclusion reflects the Child Safe Standards, which require that all Victorian schools to uphold equity, respect diverse needs among students, and pay particular attention to the needs of LGBTIQ+ students,” the statement said.

The inclusivity policy protects the right of its students to “express their gender identity whether or not this aligns with their designated sex at birth”.

The policy notes that the “most appropriate boarding facility will be determined in consultation with the Student and parent(s) / legal guardian, based on the Student’s gender identity and where the Student would feel most comfortable to live”.

“If not already available, the School will endeavour to make reasonable adjustments necessary to accommodate the Student,” it says.

The policy was updated in 2015 and there have been a number of transitioning students at Geelong Grammar since this date.

Most schools are accepting of gender diverse students, with even single-sex schools such as the male-only Xavier College allowing transitioning female students to remain as students.