Exclusive | Hong Kong International School hits back at US church suing it, says ‘we will win’
School operators say relations with Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod were cordial until it sent lawyers to the campus to demand a property valuation
The operators of a top Hong Kong school have hit back at a US-based church that is suing them for alleged breach of contract for “serving only the rich”, expressing confidence that they will win the lawsuit while defending their institution as serving the international business community, not the wider public.
They also said their relationship with the head of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS), which co-founded Hong Kong International School (HKIS), had been cordial until 2022, when the United States-based missionary group sent lawyers to the campus to demand a property valuation.
They also accused the church of subsequently exploring multiple options to develop part of the HKIS campus in Repulse Bay into a US$1 billion commercial project.
In an exclusive interview with the Post on Thursday, HKIS board of managers chairman Harold Kim and Ron Roukema, the interim head of school, expressed disappointment at accusations laid in a writ submitted to the High Court by LCMS the previous day.
The church, which co-founded HKIS in 1966, has accused Hong Kong International School Association Limited (HKISAL) of violating the operating agreement. It is threatening to evict the association from the Repulse Bay campus.
The school’s primary section is based in Repulse Bay, while its secondary section is in Tai Tam. The institution has more than 3,000 students from 40 countries and territories.