Redeemer Baptist School faces inquiry over wage and abuse allegations

Redeemer Baptist School in North Parramatta, Sydney, is facing legal action and a parliamentary inquiry following allegations of staff exploitation and severe abuse. The Independent Education Union has filed an application with the Federal Court to recover unpaid wages for staff members who claim they were treated as volunteers rather than employees.

The inquiry follows investigations by the Sydney Morning Herald and 60 Minutes, which detailed allegations of extreme control over members, including dictating personal clothing choices and forcing students to live with staff. James Cockayne, chief of the NSW Anti-Slavery Commission, has called for law enforcement to investigate potential criminal offenses such as forced labor and servitude, noting that religious freedom does not exempt institutions from workplace or child protection laws.

Submissions to the inquiry include allegations of sexual, physical, emotional, and spiritual abuse, with former students describing the school and its associated church as a “cult” and an “invisible prison.” School headmaster and bursar Russell Bailey has categorically rejected claims that the school’s volunteer work constitutes modern slavery practices.