Nigel Studdart “Successful” mediation has been held between a Northland teacher and the school which fired him for supporting students in their fight against anti-gay sentiment from their principal. It remains unclear whether Nigel Studdart has been given his job back, or received a settlement, with a statement from both the popular teacher and the school’s Board of Trustees reading: "Mediation has concluded successfully, the matter between the parties is now resolved and they have agreed to move forward. No further comment will be made." Studdart says he is unable to comment further. He was sent packing by the Board of Trustees of Whangarei’s Pompallier Catholic College last September, after he backed students who protested their principal’s anti-marriage equality column by wearing rainbow ribbons. While suspended, he openly criticised the school’s actions in the media, and was eventually fired. Since then Studdart, a straight man, has been a powerful advocate for GLBT students and parents, telling a Wellington marriage equality conference in December that the Education Review Office needs to make “damn sure” that schools are safe for everybody.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Wednesday, 6th February 2013 - 1:08pm