UPDATE: Israel Folau has described a decision by GoFundMe to remove his fundraising page as "disappointing" and a choice that is buckling to "demands against the freedom of Australians".
Folau's GoFundMe page was removed from the site on Monday morning and the company is set to refund all donors after deeming his page breached its terms of service.
Folau started the page last Thursday night, appealing for $3 million in donation to aid his legal battle against former employer Rugby Australia.
The 30-year-old has launched an unfair dismissal claim against Rugby Australia for terminating his multi-million dollar contract over a series of controversial tweets.
His campaign had courted controversy since its activation, with former Wallabies teammate Drew Mitchell one of the most vocal critic.A petition was also created to appeal to GoFundMe to shut the page down and Folau's netballer wife Maria was also embroiled in the controversy after sharing the social media post.
YOU are in a fight that YOU chose to be in after YOU broke the terms of YOUR contract, the kids below are in a fight they NEVER wanted to be in & yet YOU think YOU deserve donations more than they do??!!
— Drew Mitchell (@drew_mitchell) June 21, 2019
It’s no longer about religion, it’s about YOU and YOUR greed.@IzzyFolau 🤦🏼♂️ pic.twitter.com/mdywzaw1ha
Folau's representatives released a statement late on Monday afternoon, hitting out at the decision and maintaining it was within the website's terms and conditions.
"The decision of GoFundME to cancel Israel’s fundraising campaign to support his Legal Action Fund is very disappointing," the statement read.
"The fundraising campaign was in line with GoFundMe’s Terms and Conditions as well as all relevant rules and regulations.
"Unfortunately, GoFundMe has buckled to demands against the freedom of Australians to donoate to his cause.
"There appears to be a continuing campaign of discrimination against Israel and his supporters. Israel Folau is very grateful to the 10,000-plus supporters who believed in good faith that their donations would contribute to his case against Rugby Australia.
"Since requesting public donations to help him with his legal action against Rugby Australia, Israel and his supporters have come under intense scrutiny I the media.
"Further, Israel’s website has been the target of what we believe was a sustained syberattack and there has been a deliberate attempt to vilify his wife Maria for supporting her husband.
"While Israel does not intend to respond in detail at this time regarding the accusations thrown at him or his family, he wants it known that these attacks have hardened his resolve.
"Thankfully, several organisations have already expressed interest in supporting Israel’s efforts to raise money for his ongoing legal case."
GoFundMe released a statement on Monday morning confirming the decision and saying that they "do not tolerate the promotion of discrimination or exclusion."
“Today we will be closing Israel Folau’s campaign and issuing full refunds to all donors. After a routine period of evaluation, we have concluded that this campaign violates our terms of service,” Nicola Britton, GoFundMe’s Australia Regional Manager said.
“As a company, we are absolutely committed to the fight for equality for LGBTIQ people and fostering an environment of inclusivity.
"While we welcome GoFundMes engaging in diverse civil debate, we do not tolerate the promotion of discrimination or exclusion.
“In the days since Mr Folau’s campaign launched, more than one million dollars have been donated to hundreds of other campaigns, large and small, across Australia. Those acts of kindness are the heart of GoFundMe.
“Our platform exists to help people help others. Australians have shown themselves to be among the most kind and generous people in the world. We look forward to helping more Australians fundraise for causes they care about in the coming months and years.”
Folau took to Instagram to thank his contributors when the fund had reached $500,000 over the weekend.
“Thank you to all those who have given to my Legal Action Fund so far,” Folau wrote.
“I am humbled and overwhelmed by the support I have received, for which I am very grateful.
“Unsurprisingly, I have been criticised by Rugby Australia and some sections of the media overnight.
“I decided to take legal action when Rugby Australia terminated my employment contract and ended my playing career after I expressed my religious beliefs on social media.
“I have received thousands of messages from supporters who believe discrimination in the workplace is wrong and has no place in Australia or anywhere else.
“Sadly, Rugby Australia have said that they will devote significant resources to fight me in court.
“This shows I have a long and hard battle on my hands, which is why I am asking for your support.”
