Gloriavale has effectively drawn up a blacklist by surveying members' opposition to people speaking on their behalf in court, the leavers' support trust says.
The reclusive Gloriavale Christian community on the West Coast. Photo: RNZ / Tim Brown
The reclusive Christian community is examining responses to the 'Gloriavale Members Voice' survey created by a member, which asks people if they wish to appear as a witness at an Employment Court hearing next week, to protect the community, family, friends, church and culture.
The court will hear a case brought by six former Gloriavale women - Serenity Pilgrim, Anna Courage, Rose Standtrue, Crystal Loyal, Pearl Valour and Virginia Courage - who claim they were employees during their time at Haupiri and allege labour inspectors breached their statutory duty to them.
The survey also asks people to tick a box accepting whether or not they authorise a list of 30 people and organisations to speak for them.
They include the six women involved in next week's case and three young men at the centre of a landmark Employment Court ruling in May that found they were employees from the age of six, working long hours on farms and in factories.
Other leavers, the trust supporting former members, lawyers and "any person supporting the prosecution" are also on the list.
Gloriavale Leavers' Support Trust manager Liz Gregory said the survey amounted to a blacklist.
Gloriavale Leavers' Support Trust manager Liz Gregory says a survey at Gloriavale is advertising who is an enemy of the church. Photo:
"It was basically advertising the names of all the people inside Gloriavale who they would say are against the church or enemies of the church," she said.
"It was just a way of diminishing and blacklisting and letting everyone know this is the list of people you shouldn't be associating with."
Most people would have ticked the box saying they did not accept people speaking on their behalf to show they were good, loyal members, Gregory said.
She said some people were listed as Gloriavale leavers even though they still lived on the property, including Sharon Ready who featured in the documentary Gloriavale.
Sharon Ready, who featured in the documentary Gloriavale. Photo: Gloriavale Film Pty Ltd
A Gloriavale spokesperson said the survey was drawn up in response to multiple pieces of litigation from various former members.
"Many individuals in our community have expressed their strong concerns and disquiet at what they regard as the unreasonable disclosure about individual private lives, family relationships and religious views by former members [including family members] who say they speak for them," the spokesperson said.
"While they accept that those who bring claims are entitled to do so, they are distressed by the ongoing and repeated intrusion into their day-to-day lives in a way that they feel goes well beyond what is reasonable or fair.
"They have expressed their concerns that those who have left do not represent the views of those who remain in the community - and certainly do not speak for them."
The spokesperson said there was particular concern about discrimination against the community's religious views and the rights of individuals to live their lives as they choose - within the boundaries of the law.
"The harassment of those in our community is well documented - including Facebook posts, anonymous phone calls and confrontations on the street from members of the public," the spokesperson said.
"Much of this is aimed at the women and girls who live here and does nothing to improve the well-being of members of our community."
In a judgment released earlier this month, Employment Court chief judge Christina Inglis dismissed a bid by Gloriavale's leaders for her to stand aside from next week's hearing.
They made the recusal application on the grounds of apparent bias after Judge Inglis presided over the men's case, but she concluded a judge, unlike a jury, is capable of putting aside irrelevant and prejudicial allegations.
