BREAKING NEWS
Brisbane’s Citipointe Christian College has withdrawn its contract that required parents to sign up to a strict set of Christian beliefs and issued an apology.
In a statement posted to the school’s website they said families will no longer be asked to agree to that contract for their child to be enrolled in the College.
Principal, Pastor Brian Mulheran, said the school regretted that some students felt the school would discriminate against them because of their sexuality or gender identity, offering an apology for the actions of recent days.
“We deeply regret that some students feel that they would be discriminated against because of their sexuality or gender identity, and I apologise to them and their families on behalf of the College.” Pastor Mulheran said.
“As stated previously, the College does not and will not discriminate against any student because of their sexuality or gender identity. It is central to our faith that being gay or transgender in no way diminishes a person’s humanity or dignity in God’s eyes.
“It is also deeply distressing that some of our students have been vilified in the community simply for their religious beliefs or because they attend the College.
“I hope that by withdrawing the contract we can return all of our focus to the Christian education of our students as we begin this new year.” Pastor Mulheran said.
Parents at the K-12 school were alarmed when they were asked to sign a new contract just a few days before the new school year commenced.
The contract included a new clause that said parents would allow the school to expel students if they fail to identify with their birth gender. The school says the Bible does not make any distinction between gender and biological sex.
The contract also described homosexuality and bisexuality as “sinful, offensive and destructive” and lists it alongside adultery, fornication, incest, pedophilia and pornography.
“We believe that any form of sexual immortality (including but not limited to; adultery, fornication, homosexual acts, bisexual act, incest, paedophilia and pornography) is sinful and offensive to God and is destructive to human relationships and society,” the contract stated.
The document also said sexual intimacy should only ever occur between married couples, and only marriage between a man and a woman should be recognised. Marriage is described as a commitment for life. If parents did not sign the document their children would have no longer been welcome at the school.
The action sparked debates across Australia, with many people noting that the federal government’s proposed Religious Discrimination laws would allow for schools to take similar action in the future if the bill was passed.
Queensland’s Education Minister Grace Grace slammed the school’s contract saying it may have contravened current discrimination laws in Queensland, and parents put in complaints to the state’s Human Rights Commission claiming that their own religious beliefs were being trampled by the school’s action.
One current teacher at the school resigned from her position in protest, and also removed her own children from the college. While former students and teachers spoke out in the media about how they had experienced pressure to hide their sexuality, or experienced alleged discrimination, while at Citipointe Christian College.
An online petition at Change.org garnered over 150,000 signatories in just a few days.
The retraction of the contract comes as the school faced a review of its eligibility to receive state and government funds. In 2019 the school was the recipient of over $14 million of taxpayer funds.
Graeme Watson
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