A part-time music tutor is taking Sydney Catholic Schools to court, demanding an apology and compensation for financial damages.
The trans person, who identifies as a woman, says she suffered “confronting, humiliating, insulting, and intimidating” questioning about her appearance after she revealed her new gender identity and preferred pronouns in late 2023.
The complainant says she agreed to relocate to another school in order to avoid questions from students, but says an alternative role was never made available—effectively ending the worker’s employment.
She claims that the schooling provider quizzed her intrusively in during a meeting in February 2024.
“The applicant’s experience of this meeting was confronting, humiliating, insulting, and intimidating,” her claim to the Federal Court of Australia said.
After the meeting, the tutor was offered leave without pay, but the offer was declined.
In May, she says she turned down an offer to work in an administrative role without student contact.
An offer was also made to be provided work at one school, with an email that would sent to staff informing them that the tutor was a transgender woman. The employee refused.
The complainant claims some questions centred around bathroom use, and what her response might be to parents and staff who had queries about her transgender status.
In documents submitted to the court, the tutor said the schooling provider had deprived her of building rapport with students, impeded on her privacy and required her to confront discrimination at work.
Education Provider Limits Comment
The provider is refraining from comment at this stage as the matter goes before the courts.“Sydney Catholic Schools have filed our response to the claims of anti-discrimination made in the case and believe it is essential for the privacy and dignity of all involved that we limit comment,” a spokesperson for Sydney Catholic Schools told The Epoch Times.
Groups like Equality Australia have claimed that LGBT teachers are discriminated against in religious schools.
“For every person who speaks out, there are countless more who have been discriminated against or are hiding who they are because they want to keep their jobs or stay in school,” Equality Australia CEO Anna Brown said.
