Tasmanian Inquiry Into Bullying Finds Catholic Schools Are Mistreating LGBTQ+ Students

A Tasmanian Government Inquiry has found LGBTQ+ students are disproportionately the targets of bullying and receive insufficient support. The Inquiry into Discrimination and Bullying in Tasmanian Schools was released on Wednesday August 19, and found this discrimination was particularly evident in the state’s Catholic schools.

“At the heart of this inquiry is pain,” wrote Chair Brian Mitchell MP. “Pain suffered by young people. Pain suffered at a time when they should be learning, making friends, being given the space and opportunity to grow into adulthood mentally and emotionally healthy, unencumbered by the stresses adulthood inevitably provides.”

The inquiry found that LGBTQ+ policies and procedures were inadequate and inconsistent across educational sectors, leading to a lack of support for students and staff. This was particularly clear in cases involving transgender or gender-diverse students, who were not always appropriately supported with the acceptance and management of name changes, the provision of appropriate bathroom and changing facilities, and the handling of instances of discrimination and/or bullying.   

Catholic Schools Found Actively Participating In LGBTQ+ Discrimination

The inquiry also found that Catholic Education Tasmania had discriminated against staff on the basis of sexual orientation and marital status. While discrimination against such protected attributes contravenes the Tasmanian Anti-Discrimination Act 1998, Catholic Education Tasmania affirmed its compliance with the Commonwealth Sex Discrimination Act 1984. Evidence presented in the inquiry contested this.

Among this evidence were suggestions that LGBTQ+ staff members at Catholic schools were withheld promotions, and that gender-diverse students were referred to councillors in support of conversion therapy practices.

“For more than two decades Tasmania’s Catholic and independent education systems operated in accordance with the state Anti-Discrimination Act with no loss of religious freedom or family choice,” said Equality Tasmania spokesperson Rodney Croome.

“Only in recent years has the Anti-Discrimination Act come under attack from religious leaders who believe it is their God-given right to defy the law and discriminate against Tasmania’s LGBTIQA+ teachers and students.” 

Among its extensive list of recommendations, the inquiry asked the Tasmanian Government to fund additional LGBTQ+ inclusion policies and training in the education sector, increase the number of mental health support staff, and introduce mandatory bullying/discrimination management training. It also recommended that all Tasmanian schools work toward providing individual stall unisex bathrooms.