A top Catholic school accused of a culture of cover-up has received reports of alleged inappropriate behaviour by several current teachers.
St Kevin's College has gone into damage control after a Four Corners investigation revealed its Headmaster and Dean of Sport provided character evidence for a now-convicted child sex offender but did not support the victim during the court process.
Key points:
- St Kevin's College has been notified of several claims of inappropriate behaviour by current teachers
- Complaints involve an allegation of sexual harassment and concerns expressed by staff members about possible grooming of students
- School withheld and redacted student victim's counselling session notes, some of which contained his criticisms of the school's response
Numerous current and former staff, students and parents from St Kevin's College have told Four Corners the school has a history of failing to adequately deal with complaints of inappropriate behaviour.
Four Corners can now reveal that those complaints involve an allegation of sexual harassment and also concerns raised by staff members about potential grooming and inappropriate behaviour towards boys.
The governing body overseeing the college, Edmund Rice Education Australia, is investigating one complaint by a teacher who alleges he was sexually harassed by a senior colleague.
"His actions not only shocked and disgusted me, but they made me feel powerless and worried about my job and future prospects, should I make a formal complaint," the complaint said.
The complaint was written last May, but St Kevin's never responded in writing and only contacted the teacher in December when it began interviewing staff for the investigation.
The General Secretary from the Victorian branch of the Independent Education Union, Deb James said that response was disappointing.
"I don't think it's good enough that you receive a written complaint in May and there's effectively no resolution to the issue and that the member who has made the complaint is not communicated with again about the matters they've raised," she said.
"These things should be taken seriously, and staff need to feel that the employers and senior staff leadership in their workplace is prepared to listen to them and act on what is being told to them."
The same senior teacher has also flouted the school Code of Conduct that bans staff from posting photographs of students online or contacting the boys via social media.
Former St Kevin's student Finley Tobin told Four Corners he received an unsolicited message from the teacher after midnight one night during his year 12 exams.
The message said: "I do hope that your new room is all very satisfactory and that you've enjoyed being in it for to-night."
Mr Tobin said it was surprising.
"That could have been a normal comment to make if it were during the day, or in person, but over Facebook message at about midnight seemed a bit odd."
The teacher has denied any wrongdoing.
But it is not just Code of Conduct breaches.
Staff members at St Kevin's have also made more complaints about two further male teachers.
In those cases, the staff were worried the teachers were potentially grooming boys.
One whistleblower is now alleging school management pressured her not to take it further.
St Kevin's College declined to answer questions about complaints about current teachers.
School redacted counselling session notes involving student victim
Four Corners revealed on Monday that then-Year 9 student Paris Street was groomed by former athletics coach Peter Kehoe following sexually suggestive messages and comments he had made to Paris.
In 2015, current Headmaster Stephen Russell wrote a character reference for Kehoe, and Dean of Sport at the College Luke Travers gave character evidence for Kehoe at the trial.
When Paris Street returned to St Kevin's after a brief spell at another school, he was told he'd need to meet with Mr Travers.
The meeting was documented by a school psychologist, who quoted Mr Travers as having said that he would continue to stay in contact with Kehoe despite his conviction.
"As a friend, I did not want him to be convicted," the notes recorded Mr Travers saying.
"I felt obliged to support him."
When asked what he first thought of the incident, Luke Travers is quoted as having said, "storm in a teacup."
Paris later took legal action against the school.
But when his lawyer, Judy Courtin, attempted to get notes from St Kevin's College recording Paris's meetings with the psychologist, she said she hit a brick wall.
Dr Courtin said it her took "months and months" to receive the medical records which documented the meetings.
"We were gobsmacked, because they were highly redacted, even though they were our own client's records," Dr Courtin told Four Corners.
Eventually, she got full copies and could see that among the initial redactions was the meeting with the Dean of Sport.
The College had also left out several pages, including one talking about the St Kevin's leadership.
It read that Paris: "Feels that they had the power to do a great deal and chose to protect the school ahead of (Paris's) wellbeing."
Dr Courtin said she was shocked.
"It's another example of trying to protect themselves, trying to protect the name of St Kevin's College," she said.
Paris told Four Corners the school's handling of the case led him to "spiral" mentally.
"Mum would drive me to school in the morning. Driving on the Boulevard, and then you'd see the big cross on the chapel that overlooks the Yarra," he said.
"I'd see that, and I'd just get triggered and would have a panic attack."
"I wouldn't want to go to sleep at night because I wouldn't want to get up in the morning to go to school."
Headmaster Stephen Russell declined to be interviewed.
In a statement, the school said: "The actions of Peter Kehoe were completely unacceptable, and St Kevin's College strongly condemns them. After his conviction, he was immediately banned from entering the school or having any contact with the College or its students."
The Catholic education network Edmund Rice Education Australia (EREA) said in a statement: "Stephen Russell enjoys the confidence of EREA as the leader of St Kevin's College."
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