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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Sarah Martin

Years at Exclusive Brethren school were ‘darkest moments of my life’, former student says

Ben Woodbury at his design store
Ben Woodbury, who has since come out as gay, never felt safe at school. Homosexuality is forbidden in the Exclusive Brethren. Illustration: Victoria Hart/Guardian Design

Students in need of psychological support at schools set up by the Exclusive Brethren sect cannot access external counselling services without getting approval from up to a dozen members of the school and church community, according to multiple former staff members.

The school says the approval process is to ensure that students “are provided with the right type of school-funded support for their individual needs”.

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