Key staff resign from private boarding school after ‘strapping' abuse scandal
Key leaders at a prestigious Victorian private school, rocked by allegations of systematic physical abuse of young students by older schoolmates, have resigned.
Staff at Ballarat Grammar were told on Tuesday that the head of the school's Dart House boarding facility, Alex Sylvan, had decided to step down and would not return when term 2 begins next week.
The school's leadership praised Sylvan's efforts as head of the house and wished the experienced teacher well.
A.K.M. Azad also stepped down as assistant head of Dart House, but will continue to work at the school as an academic mentor to boarders and as a classroom teacher.
Loading
Parents continue to pressure the school over its response to allegations that at least 10 boarding students had used straps to 'punish' children as young as year 7 level, with at least 12 victims thought to be involved.
Two senior students were expelled after an investigation by the school and another group of boys has been moved off-campus – to a house owned by the school in Ballarat – while continuing their studies as day students.
Police continue to investigate the alleged assaults, which are said to have occurred in 2023 and 2024, and the state's education regulator, the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority, also says it is making inquiries.
Ballarat Grammar headmaster Adam Heath thanked the two departing Dart House leaders on Tuesday.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
West Australian
4 hours ago
- West Australian
Erin Patterson trial: Alleged mushroom poisoner to give evidence for seventh day
Alleged death cap mushroom cook Erin Patterson has told her triple-murder trial a sixth beef Wellington she had prepared was 'just an extra one'. Ms Patterson, 50, is facing trial accused of murdering three of her husband's relatives with a deliberately poisoned lunch she hosted in the country Victorian town of Leongatha on July 29, 2023. She is also accused of the attempted murder of a fourth relative, who recovered after falling ill. She has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Prosecutors allege she spiked the meal with death cap mushrooms with 'murderous intent' while her defence say she did not intend to poison anyone and the case is a tragic accident. Don Patterson, his wife Gail Patterson and Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson died in the week following the lunch while Heather's husband Ian Wilkinson survived. Giving evidence at her trial on Tuesday, Ms Patterson was quizzed about a sixth beef Wellington she prepared ahead of the lunch. She denied a suggestion by Crown prosecutor Nanette Rogers SC the dish was made for Simon Patterson, her estranged husband if he changed his mind and attended. 'I didn't make that sixth one for Simon,' she replied. 'I did not make that one for him … it was just an extra one. Simon wasn't coming.' Earlier in the trial, Simon Patterson told the jury he'd been invited two weeks before the lunch alongside his parents and aunt and uncle, initially agreeing to attend. But the evening before the lunch, he texted Ms Patterson to decline. 'Sorry, I feel too uncomfortable about coming to the lunch with you, mum, dad, Heather & Ian tomorrow,' the message read. Ms Patterson responded saying it was 'really disappointing' and urging Simon to change his mind. 'I've spent many hours this week preparing lunch for tomorrow … and spent a small fortune on beef eye fillet to make beef Wellingtons because I wanted it to be a special meal,' she wrote. 'It's important to me that you're all there tomorrow and that I can have the conversations that I need to have. 'I hope you'll change your mind. Your parents and Heather and Ian are coming at 12.30. I hope to see you there.' Ms Patterson told the jury she was 'hurt' Simon didn't want to come and may have exaggerated. 'I guess I wanted him to feel a little bit bad about cancelling at the last minute after he would have known I'd done a lot of preparation,' she said. Asked last week what happened to the sixth beef Wellington, Ms Patterson told the jury she placed it into her fridge to deal with later. She said she served the meal, with the pastry and mushroom scrapped off, to her two children for dinner the day following the lunch. Ms Patterson denied a suggestion by Dr Rogers that she did not feed the meat from this meal to her children, but she did agree the meat was removed. 'I did do that,' the accused woman said. 'And where was it put?' Dr Rogers asked. 'Into my children's stomachs,' Ms Patterson responded. The trial, now in its seventh week, continues.
Perth Now
4 hours ago
- Perth Now
Cook denies sixth meal was for husband: Court
Alleged death cap mushroom cook Erin Patterson has told her triple-murder trial a sixth beef Wellington she had prepared was 'just an extra one'. Ms Patterson, 50, is facing trial accused of murdering three of her husband's relatives with a deliberately poisoned lunch she hosted in the country Victorian town of Leongatha on July 29, 2023. She is also accused of the attempted murder of a fourth relative, who recovered after falling ill. She has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Prosecutors allege she spiked the meal with death cap mushrooms with 'murderous intent' while her defence say she did not intend to poison anyone and the case is a tragic accident. Don Patterson, his wife Gail Patterson and Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson died in the week following the lunch while Heather's husband Ian Wilkinson survived. Erin Patterson has pleaded not guilty to counts of murder and attempted murder. Supplied. Credit: Supplied Giving evidence at her trial on Tuesday, Ms Patterson was quizzed about a sixth beef Wellington she prepared ahead of the lunch. She denied a suggestion by Crown prosecutor Nanette Rogers SC the dish was made for Simon Patterson, her estranged husband if he changed his mind and attended. 'I didn't make that sixth one for Simon,' she replied. 'I did not make that one for him … it was just an extra one. Simon wasn't coming.' Earlier in the trial, Simon Patterson told the jury he'd been invited two weeks before the lunch alongside his parents and aunt and uncle, initially agreeing to attend. But the evening before the lunch, he texted Ms Patterson to decline. 'Sorry, I feel too uncomfortable about coming to the lunch with you, mum, dad, Heather & Ian tomorrow,' the message read. Simon Patterson was called as the prosecution's first witness. NewsWire / David Geraghty Credit: News Corp Australia Ms Patterson responded saying it was 'really disappointing' and urging Simon to change his mind. 'I've spent many hours this week preparing lunch for tomorrow … and spent a small fortune on beef eye fillet to make beef Wellingtons because I wanted it to be a special meal,' she wrote. 'It's important to me that you're all there tomorrow and that I can have the conversations that I need to have. 'I hope you'll change your mind. Your parents and Heather and Ian are coming at 12.30. I hope to see you there.' Ms Patterson told the jury she was 'hurt' Simon didn't want to come and may have exaggerated. 'I guess I wanted him to feel a little bit bad about cancelling at the last minute after he would have known I'd done a lot of preparation,' she said. Asked last week what happened to the sixth beef Wellington, Ms Patterson told the jury she placed it into her fridge to deal with later. She said she served the meal, with the pastry and mushroom scrapped off, to her two children for dinner the day following the lunch. Ms Patterson denied a suggestion by Dr Rogers that she did not feed the meat from this meal to her children, but she did agree the meat was removed. 'I did do that,' the accused woman said. 'And where was it put?' Dr Rogers asked. 'Into my children's stomachs,' Ms Patterson responded. The trial, now in its seventh week, continues.
The Age
6 hours ago
- The Age
‘Sucker for a good cause': Melbourne legal legends sign up for Palestinian student activists
The University of Melbourne's new-ish vice chancellor, Emma Johnston, made a little history when she officially punted two pro-Palestine protesters from the august institution after the students and about 16 of their mates stormed and occupied the office of Jewish academic Steven Prawer last year. But as they say in the classics, this ain't over yet. The two unnamed students – another two were suspended over their October 2024 stunt – were given 30 days to appeal Johnston's decision and have already attracted some legal heavyweights. But there's just one teensy-tiny issue. Legal eagle Greg Barns, no stranger to these matters, having acted as an adviser to Wikileaks ex-con Julian Assange, and in a lengthy list of right-on causes, has teamed-up with Victorian criminal law legend and former magistrate Rob Stary to add some heft to the students' legal crusade. Stary's list of former clients is, well, quite something. We've got 'Jihad' Jack Thomas, who was the first Australian to be convicted under the post-9/11 terrorism laws, Assange – him again – and even Melbourne gangland figures Tony Mokbel and the late Carl Williams. The high-profile legal pair are joined by fellow bar-table veteran Leonard Hartnett, who celebrates 50 years in the wig-and-gown game this year, and pro-Palestine legal sister act Bernadette and Ran Zaydan, who established their Watermelon Defence Fund, which, well, the name says it all. (The melon's colours match those of the Palestinian flag.) Stary said he became involved after the other lawyers contacted him, but he told CBD he was approaching his task with some gusto. 'Always a sucker for a good cause,' he said. And that teensy-tiny issue? Uni rules state that the students have no right of representation in the appeals process, so their near-basketball squad of legal advisers is, at this stage anyway, just that.
