NEWS Call to discipline teacher

A TERRITORY teacher at the centre of a gay slur controversy remains employed by the school. The Education Department has confirmed to the NT News Ian Shepherd is still teaching Year 8 students at Centralian Middle School, Alice Springs, despite an investigation into a post from his Facebook account referring to gays as living an “inherently wrong” lifestyle.

Last week, a post from Mr Shepherd’s account was published on the Alice Springs Community Open Facebook forum in response to an article on the Liberal Government’s controversial plan for a gay marriage plebiscite.

“Gays think the reason they don’t feel good about themselves is because society currently won’t let them call themselves married,” it said.

“Will it change when the law changes? No, because the reason they don’t feel good about themselves is because their lifestyle choice is inherently wrong.”

An Education Department spokeswoman confirmed Mr Shepherd had not been suspended from duties while they investigated a complaint against the nature of the post.

“The Department of Education thoroughly investigates all allegations of inappropriate staff conduct in a fair and impartial manner and affords natural justice to all parties involved,” she said.

“This is an internal process between the department and the teacher and no further comment can be made.

“The priority for the department is that the wellbeing of the students and staff is maintained.”

MLA for Namatjira Chansey Paech, who is openly gay, has slammed Mr Shepherd’s post as “disgraceful”.

“He’s an educator,” Mr Paech said.

“It sends strong and distressing alarm bells about what kind of way he might be treating people in class ... pushing his personal thoughts down students’ throats.”

He has called for Mr Shep- herd to be disciplined over the post.

“You don’t get to chuck that disgraceful language around and get off scot-free.” he previously told the Nt News.

The Turnbull Government has promised to hold a plebiscite on gay marriage but many politicians and social commentators fear it will incite vitriol and discrimination towards the gay community.

The Federal Opposition has called for a conscience vote in the parliament on the issue.