A veteran school principal says she was driven from a 34-year career in education after raising concerns about promoting Wear It Purple Day to primary school children.

Janelle Rowe sought to replace the LGBTQIA+ awareness event at her ACT public primary school with Bullying No Way Week, which she believed offered a more age-appropriate and inclusive way to address bullying.

Her concern, she says, was not about excluding or mistreating any child. It was about safeguarding young children and respecting the role of parents in deciding when sensitive questions about sexuality should be introduced.

Janelle told The Daily Telegraph:

“I believe Wear It Purple Day is not a harmless dress-up day, it requires teachers to explain what these lifestyles are about to children and I don’t feel it’s the place of schools to be talking about sexualised issues with infants and primary students,” 

“At age four through to twelve, these are still issues for parents and for families.”

After Janelle explained her position to staff, she was called to meet with education officials and confronted with concerns about her leadership and performance.

HRLA became involved following the first meeting and has taken up Janelle’s case.

Documents later obtained under Freedom of Information laws appear to stand in stark contrast to the performance concerns. 

According to The Daily Telegraph, internal employment records had previously described Janelle as “outstanding” and “highly capable”, while one referee called her the best leader they had worked with in a 40-year career. 

The ACT Education Directorate declined to comment on Janelle’s case, citing employee privacy. 

Janelle ultimately resigned.

Her case raises a serious question for Australian public institutions: can an experienced professional raise conscientious concerns about age-appropriate education without putting her career at risk?

“Everything changed for me once I took a stand,” Janelle said. 

HRLA is standing with Janelle because freedom of conscience must include the freedom to respectfully question prevailing policies without fear of professional punishment.