Teachers allege sexual harassment and racism at St Bernard’s College
Female teachers at a Catholic boys school in Melbourne’s north have said they work in fear of sexual harassment by students, and that the school’s leadership has failed to confront a misogynistic culture among some schoolboys.
One teacher even complained of a student who brazenly made sexual remarks in class in front of other students and told her “I know the way you go home”.
Female teachers at Catholic boys’ school St Bernard’s College have alleged they face a misogynistic culture that includes sexual harassment by students.Credit:Luis Ascui
WorkSafe and the Independent Education Union have separately begun to investigate staff reports “of sexual harassment and work-related violence” at St Bernard’s College in Essendon.
Current and former teachers at the school detailed several allegations of confronting and sexually inappropriate behaviour by students, both in classrooms and in public, as well as alleged examples of racist behaviour targeting Jewish people.
In some cases, the alleged misbehaviour was brushed off by school leadership, a report by the union based on staff testimonies states.
One early career teacher told the union she is receiving psychological counselling over a year 9 student’s repeated sexual harassment of her, including allegedly stating, “I know the way you go home” and commenting on a gym that she visits in her suburb, “causing concern that he knew her home location”.
The school set up a “restorative meeting” between the teacher and student, at which the boy backpedalled and denied responsibility for his behaviour, the report says.
The same teacher commented about a year 11 student “looking her up and down”, of year 9 boys dry-humping each other in her class and year 11 boys openly discussing their penis size.
Another female teacher told the union official she took a group of boys on a tram, on which they sang, “Who let the dogs out?” in reference to a female passenger, simulated anal sex and air-dropped sexual images among each other.
“Aside from the health and safety risk this poses to staff members, there is a substantial reputational risk to the school,” the report says.
A report based on staff testimonies states that in some cases, the alleged misbehaviour was brushed off by school leadership.Credit:Luis Enrique Ascui
Boys would brush up against certain female teachers in stairwells, apparently intentionally, the union official was told.
Yet, the report also details staff complaints of inadequate responses by school leadership.
“Staff were concerned that any reporting of events may reflect badly on their teaching practice rather than the appalling behaviour of students,” it states.
“Their experience is that these matters are not dealt with seriously and there is a ‘boys will be boys’ attitude towards matters of sexual harassment and violence.”
At a meeting on campus last month between a union official and St Bernard’s principal Michael Davies, Davies likened many of the alleged instances to what occurs within any ordinary football club, the report states.
Alleged instances of anti-Semitic racism are also detailed in the report, including the etching of swastikas on school furniture.
In one instance, a teacher said a large swastika that was scratched onto a white board was allegedly left there for six weeks while she was on long service leave, and required her to file two reports before it was removed.
The Independent Education Union has recommended that the school employ an independent third party to receive staff reports of sexual harassment, given employees’ expressed unease about bringing them to their employer’s attention.
General secretary Deb James said the union was deeply concerned about ongoing cultural issues at several Catholic boys’ schools.
“Many all-boys schools are welcoming, inclusive, and inspiring workplaces, but unfortunately there are too many others where female staff tell us they are belittled, threatened, and objectified,” James said.
“There are no grey areas on gendered violence. These workplace cultures need urgent reform.”
St Bernard’s College is governed by Edmund Rice Education Australia, which has more than 50 member schools across Australia, including seven in Victoria.
The school and Edmund Rice Education Australia have been contacted for comment.
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