Gloriavale Christian School principal hits out at critics

The Gloriavale Christian Community on the West Coast. Photo / George Heard

By Jean Edwards of RNZ

Gloriavale Christian School's new principal has accused people of making a co-ordinated effort to shut the school down and take its children away by lodging simultaneous complaints against every teacher.

In an open letter published on the West Coast Christian community's website, Rachel Stedfast said the complaints stopped almost all of the school's teachers from doing their job while an investigation was carried out.

"A small group of people have made a co-ordinated effort to shut the school down and take our children away by lodging complaints against all our teachers simultaneously," she wrote.

"Everyone knows that a school cannot function without teachers.

"The media has falsely associated the current shutdown with sexual abuse from the past against individuals who either no longer teach or live at Gloriavale.

"I want to make it clear that none of the current teachers have been stood down due to allegations of physical sexual abuse."

Gloriavale Christian School, which has a roll of 183, temporarily closed last month because of staff shortages.

Stedfast said the community had become a target, threatening their way of life and leaving the school's children feeling uncertain and insecure.

Her letter has been published at the same time as the Employment Court hears a case brought by six former Gloriavale women seeking a ruling they were employees during their time at Haupiri - a claim the community's leaders strongly deny.

The court has heard evidence the women worked in "slave-like" conditions in the commune's kitchen, laundry and childcare centres and were exposed to workplace sexual harassment and abuse.

Stedfast said people outside Gloriavale were "rightfully angry" about things that had happened in the past, but it was time for them to start making "adjustments" to how they perceived the commune today.

"There are many who claim that ladies like me in Gloriavale have no voice. I believe the people who live here now should be allowed to speak for themselves," she said.

Gloriavale had made "extraordinary changes" to the way it operated and delivered a heartfelt public apology, Stedfast said.

"We are heartened by the many changes that needed to be made as we are realising that what worked for 200 people has not kept pace for 600. We very much want to stay living here with our families," she said.

Stedfast said Gloriavale developed a new child protection policy last year under the guidance of an independent agency chosen by Oranga Tamariki.

In May former principal Faithful Pilgrim was suspended from teaching for three months by the New Zealand Teachers Disciplinary Tribunal for twice endorsing a teacher he knew had sexually assaulted a 9-year-old girl.

The Ministry of Education and the Teaching Council have been contacted for comment.