Posted on 06/09/2019 7:08:01 PM PDT by ebb tide
MELBOURNE, Australia, June 7, 2019 (LifeSiteNews) — Committed Christian and Australian rugby star Israel Folau is claiming before Australia’s Fair Work Commission that he was dismissed by his team because of his religion.
Lawyers for the former Wallabies standout confirmed Thursday that they filed papers against Rugby Australia and the New South Wales Waratahs for breach of contract. Folau, a 30-year-old fullback, is seeking “substantial remedies” from his former employers, arguing that his termination was unlawful, according to Section 772 of the Fair Work Act that forbids discrimination on the basis of religion.
“No Australian of any faith should be fired for practising their religion,” Folau said in a statement.
"The termination has cost Mr. Folau the best years of his rugby career,” his lawyers stated in the filing, “participation at the Rugby World Cup, the chance to become the greatest Wallaby try-scorer (a decades-old record he was likely to break), and the associated exposure and opportunities."
The filing goes on to say, "As well as around $5 million in lost salary, Mr. Folau will claim in respect of the loss of these opportunities (renewal of contract, sponsorships, etc). The damages will be particularised in due course, but will be substantial. In addition, Mr. Folau will seek civil penalties.”
“I will forever be grateful and proud to have played the sport I love for our nation,” Folau said. “Ours is an amazing country built on important principles, including freedom of religion. A nation made up of so many different faiths and cultural backgrounds will never be truly rich unless this freedom applies to all of us. The messages of support we have received over these difficult few weeks have made me realise there are many Australians who feel their fundamental rights are being steadily eroded.”
Folau was the focus of LGBTQ outrage and a disgruntled rugby establishment in Australia when he posted Scriptural condemnations of homosexuality and other perversions. In an April post on Instagram, Folau used an image that listed "drunks, homosexuals, adulterers, liars, fornicators, thieves, atheists and idolaters. Hell awaits you." He added, “Those that are living in Sin will end up in Hell unless you repent. Jesus Christ loves you and is giving you time to turn away from your sin and come to him.”
His contract was terminated in May after a ruling from a three-member panel, thus making his ineligible to participate in this year’s Rugby World Cup matches.
When Rugby Australia ruled that he violated its code of conduct, he lost not only a contract that was expected to run until 2022 but lucrative sponsorship deals with companies such as Land Rover and Asics.
He decided not to appeal the decision, saying he was considering court action.
Whether Folau is allowed to play Australian rugby again may be in doubt. Chairman Peter Beattie of the Australian Rugby League Commission reaffirmed the National Rugby League’s view that Folau is banned for good because rugby is “an inclusive game with respect for all.”
Folau had been expected to join his teammates at the Rugby World Cup in Japan this year.
Ping
The insane life changing backlash over one social media post really has to come to an end. I could vaguely understand it if it was a call to violence or something of the like.
Plus, I mean, really, including drunks in there? That’s like half of the rugby fan base right there.
Rugby Australia: Telling the truth, bad.
Rugby Australia: sticking a penis up a man’s butt and thereby leading eventually to Gay Bowel Disease, good.
Rugby Australia: Trans women have penises and trans men have vaginas: truth!
He voiced disapproval of the homosexual lifestyle, because he is a Christian.
The homosexual community demanded that he be utterly destroyed, because he is a Christian.
People in the media decide, “He shouldn’t be so extreme.”
Should’ve said he was Muslim he would get a bonus for being persecuted.
He is one hundred percent correct. He was fired for his Christian Faith and that is the only reason.
Even if he loses in this life; he won’t be with the losers in the next. Unless they follow his counsel and repent.
His former teammates and other sports stars should be defending him like the players in the NFL did for Colin Kaepernick?
AWESOME
I am in Australia.
It has become an overwhelmingly secular society.
The media here is consistently anti-Christian.
This is a big case to determine if there is a rule of law in Australia, if there is freedom of religion, if there is any significant free speech.
No Muslim here would have been canned for saying the same thing from a Muslim perspective.
I love that quote. It is now stolen for my tagline.
He was fired because he chose to challenge the rules. The Code of Conduct is clear on this type of action he took.
file:///C:/Users/Jeffrey/Downloads/RugbyAUCodeofConduct.pdf
Section 1.3
Treat everyone equally, fairly and with dignity regardless of gender or gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity, cultural or religious background, age or disability. Any form of bullying, harassment or discrimination has no place in Rugby.
And Section 1.6
Do not make any public comment that is critical of the performance of a match official, player, team official, coach or employee/officer/volunteer of any club or a Union; or on any matter that is, or is likely to be, the subject of an investigation or disciplinary process; or otherwise make any public comment that would likely be detrimental to the best interests, image and welfare of the Game, a team, a club, a competition or Union.
He chose to play under these rules and was expected to follow them or he’d be punished. He had to know that, so if he is willing to give up his career for his religion, I applaud him. And in this country there are laws and policies I don’t like and I have a choice, I can live within the rules, challenge them and maybe pay the price, or I can try to get them changed. Everything else is political suicide and like him, I know it.
But this is Australia and they don’t look at things the same way we do. We didn’t agree with England, Spain, France, or Portugal so we made out own nation in the 1700’s. And every little town had different ideas on how life should work. It’s called democracy. And that’s why people accidentally die trying to get here. It’s worth it to try for them.
rwood
I can’t believe there’s any faggots that are actually playing rugby
They would only want to destroy it
How would you like to be in a scrum with them?
In my experience, Aussies are the most rule bound citizens in the world (except for time, which is a concept they struggle with). I think it comes from being a nation of convicts seeking respectability and recognition from the mother country.
Kiwis have a different founding and seem to be far less rule-bound. However, I haven't spent nearly as much time in NZ as Oz.
Fired for being anti butt pump? Well I’ll be a suck egg mule!
I seriously doubt a Muslim would have been treated the same.
Some athletes are more equal than other athletes.
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