The trust supporting former members of the reclusive Gloriavale community is surprised the former Christian School principal has not been struck off the register for twice endorsing a teacher he knew had sexually assaulted a nine-year-old girl.
Gloriavale Christian Community at Haupiri on the West Coast. Photo: Google Maps
Faithful Pilgrim has instead been suspended from teaching for three months by the New Zealand Teachers Disciplinary Tribunal for serious misconduct and cannot work as a principal for three years.
Pilgrim claimed Just Standfast was of "good character and fit to be a teacher" on an application form to renew his practising certificate in 2012 - months after he was told about the assault - and again in 2016.
Standfast pleaded guilty to a charge of sexual conduct with a child and was sentenced in 2019.
The Teaching Council investigated Pilgrim as a result of a complaint from the Gloriavale Leavers' Support Trust.
Trust manager Liz Gregory said it was appropriate for Pilgrim to lose his registration, in line with a submission from the council's complaints assessment committee.
"He was in a position of power, of leadership and authority and didn't keep people safe in his care. I think it's actually a very serious charge and three months is just a little soft," she said.
Pilgrim must work with an independent mentor for 18 months when he resumes teaching.
The tribunal found Pilgrim's endorsement of Standfast, when he knew the teacher had inappropriately touched the student, was the "antithesis" of the response he should have taken.
"Rather than reporting Mr Standfast's conduct to the Teaching Council, the police or any other appropriate agency, his actions contributed to Mr Standfast's actions remaining undetected," the tribunal said.
Standfast assaulted the girl in 2012, who immediately told her mother, who in turn told Pilgrim.
Instead of reporting the assault, Pilgrim endorsed Standfast as fit to teach and assigned him to high school-aged boys.
The girl's father reported the assault to police in 2018.
The tribunal found Pilgrim misrepresented Standfast's character because of the "plainly wrong" belief he had in strategies to manage the risk he posed to children.
"The effect of his actions was such that he prevented external agencies, including the Teaching Council and the police, from investigating," the decision said.
"Rather than acting in the interests of learners and the teaching profession, Mr Pilgrim could be said to have acted to further the interests of Mr Standfast and of the Gloriavale community."
In a March disciplinary hearing Pilgrim admitted he knew about the allegation against Standfast in 2012, that endorsing his renewals was "foolish" and that he made an error of judgement by not involving external agencies like police.
He said he would report any offending at the school to police and Oranga Tamariki in future and has now done child protection training.
The tribunal noted Pilgrim, 66, has been a teacher for more than 45 years and previously had an unblemished record.
He was the principal of Gloriavale Christian School from 1995 until his resignation in 2020.
The tribunal rejected Pilgrim's bid to permanently suppress his name and the name of the school.
Just Standfast is no longer a teacher and has not been at the school since 2018.
Liz Gregory said the leavers' trust made a much broader complaint about the school, including bullying, harassment and harsh punishment of children, but the Teaching Council could not find enough evidence to support the claims.
"It doesn't actually bring the whole school system into the spotlight, which is what needs to happen," she said.
Earlier this month the Employment Court found Gloriavale children as young as six were employees toiling for long hours on farms and in factories doing difficult and sometimes dangerous work.
Silver Fern Farms is cutting ties with the Christian community's Value Proteins offal processing plant following the child labour ruling - meat company Alliance is also reviewing its relationship with Gloriavale.
Westland Milk is considering suspending milk collection from dairy farms run by the sect.