School uniform complaint ‘a year ago’

A woman in the ‘No’ ad complained in 2016 to state education officials about her son being told he could wear a dress to school.

Cella White. Picture: Aaron Francis

One of the women who spearheads a national television advertising campaign against same-sex marriage had complained directly to Victorian education officials about her son being told he could wear a dress to school more than a year ago, despite claims by the school’s principal this week that he first heard about the incident via the media.

Mother-of-four Cella White met Department of Education staff, including health and wellbeing director Kris Arcaro, in January 2016 after her complaints to Frankston High School about the Safe Schools program it had implemented went unheeded, The Australian has learned.

Her claim, which is repeated in the Coalition for Marriage’s television ad that aired this week, has been vehemently denied by the school’s principal, who said it “never happened”.

“I met with Ms White once in 2015 and she raised concerns about the Safe Schools program but the first time I heard the claim about her son (being told he could wear a dress) was in the media,” Frankston High’s John Albiston told ABC Radio in Melbourne on Thursday.

However, the education department has confirmed that Ms White raised the issue directly with the department, which then followed it up with the school.

“Ms White was brought to a meeting with department staff in January 2016 by the Australian Christian Lobby,” a department spokesman said.

“In that meeting she suggested that her son had been told he could wear a dress. After checking with the school we are confident this conversation did not take place.”

Frankston High has a rigorous school uniform policy that separately lists girls’ and boys’ clothing options. While girls are permitted to wear pants or shorts, there is no mention of boys being permitted to wear dresses.

However, another parent of a Frankston High School student contacted The Australian yesterday to add weight to Ms White’s claim. The man, who declined to be identified, said it was common knowledge among students that they could wear the uniform that they most identified with.

Mr Albiston yesterday declined to answer questions about whether the school, which is a supporter of the Safe Schools Coalition, a now-compulsory program in Victoria that aims to provide a supportive and inclusive environment same-sex attracted and gender diverse students, permitted boys to wear dresses.

He also declined to answer questions about whether he was aware of the January 2016 meeting and what transpired, and whether he was involved in the process of investigation whether or not that conversation (about boys wearing dresses) took place.

“I’m afraid we won’t be providing any further comment on this,” said a department spokesman.

The education department has also confirmed that promotional posters featuring boys in chequered dresses, released in 2014 as part of the Safe School’s Coalition-sponsored Gender Is Not A Uniform project, were no longer promoted to schools.

The controversial Safe Schools program, which has divided the community over its promotion of contested gender theory and identity politics, has become embroiled in the same-sex marriage debate, after the Coalition for Marriage linked the two in its ad.

Ms White, together with Sydney doctor Pansy Lai and Victorian pastor Heidi McIvor, speak about concerns that sexual and gender diversity programs like Safe Schools will become widespread in schools if same-sex marriage comes to pass.