My hardworking boyfriend misplaced his JOB and was made out to be a ‘soiled sinner’ as a consequence of a silly rule that should change now

The partner of a Tasmanian deputy principal who was stood down after beginning a new relationship before his Catholic marriage was annulled has launched a blistering attack on the church rule she says destroyed his career. 

Psychologist April Saltmarsh has accused Catholic Education Tasmania of bullying her partner, Sam Johnstone, who was forced out of his senior role. 

Mr Johnstone, who had worked at Marist Regional College in Burnie since 2021, was stood down in late 2024 after disclosing details of his personal life to management. 

According to Ms Saltmarsh, her partner, who was separated from his wife but still awaiting a church annulment, was effectively branded a ‘dirty sinner’ because he began a new relationship before the Catholic annulment process was complete. 

Mr Johnstone has since signed a non-disclosure agreement preventing him from speaking publicly, but Ms Saltmarsh, who also worked at the school, says she is determined to tell the story he legally cannot. 

‘My boyfriend lost his job because of me, but they apply their values haphazardly, she told Daily Mail. 

‘Catholic Education Tasmania have said that if you are married and that marriage ends, you cannot enter into a new relationship until the church grants an annulment, which can take 12 to 18 months and is not even guaranteed.

‘You can be legally divorced, separated for years, and still be treated like you’ve done something wrong. 

‘If you start a new relationship before the church says it’s allowed, you’re a dirty sinner and you can’t work as a leader in their schools.’

Ms Saltmarsh said Mr Johnstone was stood down on the final day of term and then left in limbo for almost 10 months.

‘So Sam was the deputy principal of wellbeing. He was incredible at his job. He was so well loved and respected by staff and students. He is amazing with kids,’ she said.

‘They stood him down on the last day of term and then bullied him for 10 months until he was forced to resign and sign a non-disclosure agreement.’

She said the situation was made worse by what she claims is a double standard within the Catholic education system.

‘There are divorced people who have re-partnered,’ she said.

‘There are same-sex couples within the system. There are also no rules around relationships with colleagues, and there are quite a few couples within the school.

‘Their claim was that because Sam was at deputy principal level, he was held to a different standard, but that was never clearly outlined. 

‘No one ever said, ‘By the way, now that you’re in this role, you’re not allowed to see anyone else for two years.”

Ms Saltmarsh also questioned the legality of the decision, pointing to Tasmania’s tough regulations.

‘In Tasmania, you are not allowed to discriminate based on relationship status or sexual orientation,’ she said.

‘But Catholic Education don’t care about that.’

Last week, Mr Johnstone, who is still unable to publicly discuss the situation, told a parliamentary inquiry into bullying in Tasmanian schools that he was going through a marriage break-up when he became close to Ms Saltmarsh. 

He explained her ‘support became critical’ to his wellbeing and it was thereafter he claims his treatment changed. 

The inquiry heard Mr Johnstone disclosed the relationship to the school, after which his treatment changed.

‘From that point on, the focus shifted. It was no longer about my professional conduct, my leadership or my years of service,’ he said. 

‘It became about my personal life or how it was perceived.

‘I was judged not on behaviour, but on the relationship and marital status. Not on evidence, but on assumption. Not with care, but with process and power.’

Mr Johnstone told the inquiry that, despite there being no finding of professional wrongdoing or any ‘evidence-based assessment of misconduct’, he was stood down.

‘I was treated as though I was morally compromised and had been involved in criminal-type behaviour at a time when I was already deeply vulnerable and needed support and care,’ he said.

‘At that point, the discrimination became explicit.

‘I was told I could not continue as a leader, or even as a teacher at my school, nor could I teach in any other Catholic Education Tasmania school.’

The inquiry heard the ‘blanket exclusion’ was not based on any substantiated finding of wrongdoing and that, when Mr Johnstone attempted to negotiate, he was offered ‘diminished’ non-teaching roles.

Mr Johnstone eventually resigned and signed a non-disclosure agreement, which he told the inquiry explicitly stated that no professional criminal wrongdoing had occurred.

‘I lost my role. I lost my vocation. I lost my community, when I needed all of them the most,’ he said.

‘And despite the severity of what occurred, there has been no accountability for those who made these decisions, while I continue to carry the consequences.’

Mr Johnstone, who was asked to speak at the inquiry, which also heard evidence from two LGBTQIA+ students, said he chose to share his story in the hope it would lead to change.

‘People shouldn’t live in fear … whether it be young male or females, that are either heterosexual, homosexual, gender-fluid, or whatever it is they’re dealing with, or their marital status,’ he said.

‘People need to be able to feel safe … and they feel that there’s an arm-around approach as opposed to a punitive, out the door one.’

A Catholic Education Tasmania spokesperson said they are taking the accusations seriously.

‘The Archdiocese and Catholic Education Tasmania take bullying and discrimination extremely seriously and we aim to provide a safe environment for all who are involved in Catholic Education,’ they said. 

‘It would be inappropriate to publicly respond to individual statements made under privilege to a Parliamentary Committee.’