Catholic school teachers living ‘covert lives’, legal inquiry told

The Catholic Church ‘discriminates against women’ and some Catholic school teachers are living ‘covert lives’, high school principals have told a legal inquiry.

Concerns about religious discrimination were raised in a submission signed by former Catholic Secondary Principals Australia president Ann Rebgetz.

The Catholic Church “discriminates against women’’ and some Catholic school teachers are living “covert lives’’, Catholic high school principals have told a legal inquiry.

Catholic Secondary Principals Australia (CASPA) has told the Australian Law Reform Commission’s inquiry into discrimination laws and schooling that “inclusion should be for all students’’.

“No discrimination should occur as Catholic schools will always be compassionate to staff and students,’’ it states. “There should not be any legislative ‘out’ for religious schools.

“Does the church need to change some of its discriminatory policies? Enrolment forms may need to have more than two ­options for gender identity.’’

The submission says school staff should not have to live “covert lives’’ but Catholic schools should retain the right to require applicants to abide by the “Catholic ethos’’ to work in schools.

The federal government is considering the ALRC’s recommendation to abolish section 38 of the Sex Discrimination Act, which lets schools hire and fire staff, and enrol students, on the grounds of sex, gender identity, marital status or pregnancy in order to comply with religious beliefs. The Catholic principals’ submission says “discrimin­ation which results in exclusion from a Christian community … is morally repugnant … any claim for exemption under Anti-Discrimination (laws) under the ‘maintaining the religious ethos’ provision must be explicit in how the claimed issue impacts or would impact on maintaining the religious ethos of the school”.

“In terms of staff in Catholic schools, the law needs to safeguard them so they do not have to live covert lives, and have opportunities denied,’’ it states.

“CASPA believes religion does not have the right to discriminate.

“The Catholic Church … discriminates against women.’’

The submission, published on the ALRC website, was signed by Ann Rebgetz during her term as CASPA president, which ended in February. The new president, Stephen Kennaugh, on Wednesday said Catholic principals wanted the government to “preserve the right to employ staff based on faith … It should be a requirement to support the Catholic ethos”.

“We believe there has been a good balance in Catholic schools in managing inclusiveness while balancing beliefs and values.’’

New Catholic Secondary Principals Association president Stephen Kennaugh defends the right of schools to recruit teachers who ‘support the Catholic ethos’. Picture: Justin Lloyd

Asked whether Catholic schools should hire teachers who were homosexual or divorced, he said if they were living in a way that conflicted with Catholic teachings, “they need to keep that private (but) they shouldn’t be dismissed if they are teaching in a method acceptable to our schools’’.