Wesley College has referred allegations of sexual assault and harassment to Victoria Police in the wake of complaints made following the March 4 Justice event in Melbourne.
Key points:
- One teacher said they were shocked by the "enormity" of daily harassment experienced by some students
- Principal Nick Evans said the school would support anyone who came forward with a complaint
- The school has engaged trauma-informed psychologists to support affected students
A boy from another private school told ABC Radio Melbourne he wrote to the principal of Wesley College after hearing some disgusting and derogatory comments on a bus in the presence of people who had attended the march.
"I heard one of them say, 'Oh we should've bombed the women's march,' kind of joking around," he said.
Since then a number of students have come forward to recount their experiences of harassment at the school.
Kim Bence, the head of the St Kilda Road campus, confirmed that complaints had been referred to police in recent days.
Principal Nick Evans encouraged anyone with a complaint to come forward.
"There are things that emerge in this space that are criminal —as simple as that — and it's not appropriate to have a pastoral response for accusations of a crime," he said.
"They will be passed on to the police."
Concerns over student interactions on daily basis
Ms Bence said the school had been having discussions with senior students and she was shocked by what they were told.
"It's just the enormity of what's happening on a day-to-day basis, their interactions in corridors in what I would classify as public spaces. I think that's where the real concerns lie for me," she said.
"What we have been privy to in the last 24-48 hours would indicate there are certainly students who do not feel safe.
"This has been devastating for our entire community."
The school said it would use "trauma-informed" psychologists to work with those who had been affected in a discreet and confidential way.
Mr Evans said the school had not been listening carefully enough and the programs that were in place to teach respectful relationships had not been effective.
"I apologise unreservedly," Mr Evans said.
"Sadly, and as I have observed on a number of occasions over the last few days, Wesley College is but a microcosm of Australian society and we reflect it.
“Many personal testimonies have been shared with us and in other fora that show how deep this issue runs.”
The school said it had partnered with the child safety organisation Bravehearts in recent times and education consultants had been engaged to canvas the experience of students.
Haileybury principal responds to student's complaints
Wesley College is not the only school facing complaints from students.
A student of private school Haileybury has gone public with a letter recounting her experiences with sexual harassment at the school.
In a message to the school community, principal Derek Scott said he met with her and other students for three hours on Thursday about the "confronting" letter.
He said the letter reflected poorly on the school and the misogynistic behaviour it outlined did not represent the school's values.
"Now that this conversation is out in the open, I am hopeful we can work together on the cultural change required," he said.