John served on the committee of the Humanist Society of Victoria (HSV) from 2007 to 2020, and was vice-president from 2010 to 2018, bringing to bear his experience as social worker, member of Borderlands and of the Social Development Network.
In particular he was the architect of HSV’s court case against the State Education Department over special religious instruction (SRI). Prior to 2010, state schools allowed visiting clerics to give lessons on church doctrines, until the cry of ‘proselytism’ began to be heard.
Knowing the value of legal leverage, John approached Public Interest Law Clearing House, in 2010, which alerted a prominent firm of solicitors to mount a case of religious discrimination on behalf of non-religious families. In 2011 the case went, via Victorian Equal Opportunity & Human Rights Commission, to Victorian Civil & Administrative Tribunal (VCAT). John helped marshal protesting parents into a group called Fairness in Religions in School (FIRIS). The Education Department changed its policy from excusing children from SRI only if their parents opted out, making it opt-in instead. In 2012 the VCAT case ended in failure. However, the Supreme Court later ruled that it was permissible to teach ethics to children who did not participate in SRI. In 2014 the State withdrew its funding to ACCESS ministries for conducting SRI, and in 2015 restricted SRI to out-of-school hours. As a result, the days of SRI were over.
After that hard-won Humanist achievement, John threw himself into the ensuing campaign for ethics education. HSV set up a pilot program of ‘community of ethical inquiry’ in three state schools and produced the report, Bringing ethical understanding to primary schools (2015).
John’s capacity of sound judgment was much valued by his colleagues. Humanists Victoria sends our heartfelt condolences to his partner, Rosaria.
Memorial for John Russell will be celebrated on 4th March at 11 am in Wattle Park Chalet,
Address: 1012 Riversdale Road, Surrey Hills.