Sydney private school faces enrollment ban over abuse allegations

A New South Wales parliamentary inquiry has recommended that a private religious school in western Sydney be barred from enrolling new students after facing a string of disturbing allegations involving sexual, physical, psychological, spiritual, and financial abuse. Former students and teachers of Redeemer Baptist school came forward to report alarming incidents, including students being made to share beds with teachers and the principal once wandering naked through a common area.

In a report tabled in state parliament, a committee found that the school, which is run by the Redeemer Baptist Church, breached basic child safeguarding standards. Investigators concluded that sexual assault allegations were handled inappropriately, placing children at significant risk of harm. The committee also noted that staff lacked essential workplace rights and that the institution failed to satisfy basic standards of good governance.

Redeemer Baptist school should be barred from enrolling new students, a parliamentary inquiry recommends.

Sydney private schools under scrutiny

The committee recommended halting new enrollments while the NSW Education Standards Authority investigates the institution. Furthermore, the panel called for the allegations to be reviewed by New South Wales police and the office of the children’s guardian. Committee chair and Greens MP Abigail Boyd pointed out that the school previously faced parliamentary scrutiny in 2006, yet authorities failed to establish proper procedures to monitor the high-risk situation. She credited the bravery of those who spoke out for providing enough evidence to support the committee's findings.

Boyd noted that the religious group receives about six million dollars a year in government funding and has sufficient financial resources to launch legal challenges against critics. She added that individuals who managed to escape the school appeared terrified of its leadership due to a lack of financial assets upon departure and deep political ties with both state and federal politicians. The committee report also highlighted a lack of regulatory oversight and suggested proper investigations into allegations of persistent Centrelink fraud and questionable tax practices, questioning how an asset-rich school operates by withholding wages from a workforce that claims benefits while receiving public funds.

Previously, a Redeemer Baptist school spokesperson stated that the institution has fully cooperated with regulators and maintains an unblemished record of compliance for forty-five years while taking child safety obligations seriously. The school did not immediately respond to a request for comment following the recent release of the report.

Why it matters

This inquiry highlights critical gaps in regulatory oversight and child safeguarding within private religious educational institutions. The recommended bans and police investigations signal a stricter approach to accountability for schools receiving public funding and holding deep political ties.