Editing Gloriavale Christian Community (section)

===May 2022 Employment Court ruling===
On 21 February 2022, three former Gloriavale residents – Hosea Courage, Daniel Pilgrim and Levi Courage – challenged two earlier Labour Inspectorate inquiries in both 2017 and 2020, which found that they were volunteers and thus not entitled to pay or employment rights. Consequently, the Labour Inspectorate had declined to investigate the labour conditions, including alleged long working hours, at Gloriavale. The plaintiffs want the [[Employment Court of New Zealand|Employment Court]] to determine their employment status while they lived at Gloriavale and to determine whether they were exploited as workers.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Leask |first1=Anna |title=Workers or volunteers? Gloriavale leavers take employment fight to court |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/workers-or-volunteers-gloriavale-leavers-take-employment-fight-to-court/6DU3LWLYHZOEZPD7L654ZBPKZI/ |access-date=25 February 2022 |work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |date=21 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220223202511/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/workers-or-volunteers-gloriavale-leavers-take-employment-fight-to-court/6DU3LWLYHZOEZPD7L654ZBPKZI/ |archive-date=23 February 2022|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="1 News 21 Feb 2022">{{cite news |last1=Boswell |first1=Ryan |title=Are Gloriavale residents employees or volunteers? |url=https://www.1news.co.nz/2022/02/21/are-gloriavale-residents-employees-or-volunteers/ |access-date=25 February 2022 |work=[[1News]] |publisher=[[TVNZ]] |date=21 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220221235100/https://www.1news.co.nz/2022/02/21/are-gloriavale-residents-employees-or-volunteers/ |archive-date=21 February 2022}}</ref> Courage alleged that Gloriavale residents were forced to work and beaten and starved as punishment for refusing to work or not working fast enough. Courage also alleged that he was beaten by his parents and authority figures.<ref name="1 News 21 Feb 2022" /><ref>{{cite news |last1=Naish |first1=Joanne |title=Sent to work at age 6, beaten and starved: One boy's experience of 'volunteering' at Gloriavale |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/127834706/sent-to-work-at-age-6-beaten-and-starved-one-boys-experience-of-volunteering-at-gloriavale |access-date=25 February 2022 |work=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]] |date=21 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220221030221/https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/127834706/sent-to-work-at-age-6-beaten-and-starved-one-boys-experience-of-volunteering-at-gloriavale |archive-date=21 February 2022|url-status=live}}</ref>

On 10 May 2022, the Employment Court ruled in favour of Courage, Pilgrim and Courage's legal challenge, accepting that they had been employees at Gloriavale since the age of six. The Court found that the trio had been forced to perform "strenuous, difficult and sometimes dangerous" work when they were legally required to attend school. This landmark decision has the potential to encourage other former Gloriavale residents to pursue legal action against the religious community.<ref name="RNZ May court ruling" /><ref>{{cite news |last1=Leask |first1=Anna |title=Employment Court rules Gloriavale members were 'employees' from age 6, undertook 'laborious, often dangerous' work – not 'chores' |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/employment-court-rules-gloriavale-members-were-employees-from-age-6-undertook-laborious-often-dangerous-work-not-chores/Y765MNKEGTL6QD74BHEOD34OCM/ |access-date=11 May 2022 |work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |date=10 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220511124149/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/employment-court-rules-gloriavale-members-were-employees-from-age-6-undertook-laborious-often-dangerous-work-not-chores/Y765MNKEGTL6QD74BHEOD34OCM/ |archive-date=11 May 2022|url-status=live}}</ref> In response to the Employment Court ruling, [[WorkSafe New Zealand]] confirmed that it would send inspectors to investigate conditions at Gloriavale. In addition, the [[Charities Commission (New Zealand)|Charities Commission]] commenced an investigation into Gloriavale's trust over allegations of unpaid child labour, beatings, and the withholding of food. If these allegations are proven, Gloriavale would lose its charitable status, costing it its donee status and tax benefits.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Edwards |first1=Jean |title=WorkSafe inspectors to visit Gloriavale, charities regulator opens investigation after ruling |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/466916/worksafe-inspectors-to-visit-gloriavale-charities-regulator-opens-investigation-after-ruling |access-date=11 May 2022 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=11 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220511124316/https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/466916/worksafe-inspectors-to-visit-gloriavale-charities-regulator-opens-investigation-after-ruling |archive-date=11 May 2022|url-status=live}}</ref>

Following the Employment Court's ruling in May 2022, [[Silver Fern Farms]] announced on 24 May that it would no longer be supplying offal to Gloriavale's trading company Value Proteins. In addition, Westland Dairy suspended milk collection from Gloriavale–operated farms. In addition, meat processing company [[Alliance Group]] confirmed that it was reconsidering its relationship with Gloriavale in light of reports of labour exploitation.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Chittock |first1=Niva |title=Silver Fern Farms will no longer supply offal to Gloriavale meat plant |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/country/467760/silver-fern-farms-will-no-longer-supply-offal-to-gloriavale-meat-plant |access-date=28 May 2022 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=27 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220527043714/https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/country/467760/silver-fern-farms-will-no-longer-supply-offal-to-gloriavale-meat-plant |archive-date=27 May 2022|url-status=live}}</ref> That same month, WorkSafe inspectors travelled to Gloriavale and issued nine improvement notices relating to the management of hazardous substances, machines and traffic at the community's grounds in [[Haupiri]]. By 15 August 2022, Gloriavale had complied with six of the nine notices, with the remaining three due to be completed by November 2022. In addition, WorkSafe had issued a total of 19 improvement notices to four Gloriavale businesses since September 2020.<ref name="NZH 15 Aug 2022">{{cite news |title=Gloriavale ordered to improve workplace safety standards |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/gloriavale-ordered-to-improve-workplace-safety-standards/OG4YTU6W56R7NDA7Z5FDOE6GAU/ |access-date=15 August 2022 |work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |date=14 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220815104018/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/gloriavale-ordered-to-improve-workplace-safety-standards/OG4YTU6W56R7NDA7Z5FDOE6GAU/ |archive-date=15 August 2022|url-status=live}}</ref>

In response to Westland Milk's actions, Gloriavale's subsidiary Canaan Farming Dairy sought a High Court injunction, prompting Westland to agree to continue collecting Canaan's milk until the Employment Court made a ruling on a second labour exploitation case filed by several former Gloriavale women.<ref name="NZH 15 Aug 2022" /> On 4 October, High Court Justice Jan-Marie Doogue ordered Westland Milk to continue collecting milk from Canaan Farming Dairy's three farms Bell Hill, Gloriavale and Glen Hopeful on the condition that it did not hire any minors or associate employees under the age of 18 years. In her ruling, Doogue ruled there was no evidence that Canaan had breached its obligations as an employer and that the company was not a party to the Employment Court case which had sparked the contract move suspension. She also rejected Westland's claim that it had lost customers as a result of its business relationship with Canaan Farming.<ref>{{cite news |title=Judge orders Westland Milk not to halt milk collection from Gloriavale farms |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/country/476037/judge-orders-westland-milk-not-to-halt-milk-collection-from-gloriavale-farms |access-date=5 October 2022 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=4 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221004070641/https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/country/476037/judge-orders-westland-milk-not-to-halt-milk-collection-from-gloriavale-farms |archive-date=4 October 2022|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Cropp |first1=Amanda |title=High Court rejects Westland Dairy's claims of big losses from using Gloriavale milk |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/130064576/high-court-rejects-westland-dairys-claims-of-big-losses-from-using-gloriavale-milk |access-date=5 October 2022 |work=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]] |date=5 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221004183648/https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/130064576/high-court-rejects-westland-dairys-claims-of-big-losses-from-using-gloriavale-milk |archive-date=4 October 2022|url-status=live}}</ref> Gloriavale Christian Community including Canaan Farming Dairy director Samuel Valor welcomed the High Court's ruling and emphasised the community's willingness to comply with employment requirements.<ref>{{cite news |last1=McMahon |first1=Brendon |title=Gloriavale welcomes judge's ruling on milk collection |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/476045/gloriavale-welcomes-judge-s-ruling-on-milk-collection |access-date=5 October 2022 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |date=4 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221004040914/https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/476045/gloriavale-welcomes-judge-s-ruling-on-milk-collection |archive-date=4 October 2022|url-status=live}}</ref>

On 22 November 2024, the [[Employment Court of New Zealand|Employment Court]] ruled that the previous Overseeing Shepherd Hopeful Christian had been the employer of Courage, Pilgrim and Courage during the periods that the three plaintiffs had worked in the Gloriavale Community.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Sargent |first1=Anna |title=Gloriavale's leader was employer of children working there, court rules |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/534529/gloriavale-s-leader-was-employer-of-children-working-there-court-rules |access-date=24 November 2024 |work=[[RNZ]] |date=22 November 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241123013313/https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/534529/gloriavale-s-leader-was-employer-of-children-working-there-court-rules |archive-date=23 November 2024}}</ref>