Teachers at a Catholic all-boys private school in Melbourne have alleged students saluted Hitler in class, made a young female teacher feel concerned about her personal safety and simulated anal sex while on a tram.
Per The Herald Sun, an Independent Education Union official interviewed teachers at Essendon’s St Bernard’s College in September this year.
They compiled the teachers’ shocking allegations into a 13-page report, which has been leaked.
A teacher claimed a student was suspended for “saluting the Sieg Heil in the classroom,” and a swastika was carved into a whiteboard in their classroom.
The teacher said it took two weeks for the Nazi symbol to be removed.
A young female teacher at St Bernard’s College “raised concerns about her personal safety after receiving threats from a student who had allegedly repeatedly sexually harassed her,” according to The Herald Sun
“Other boys simulated anal sex and were air-dropping sexual images on the tram.”
According to The Herald Sun, St Bernard’s College principal Michael Davies said the school took the teachers’ concerns “extremely seriously” and “acted immediately to condemn the unacceptable actions and punish the students”.
However, the union official wrote in their report that “staff were concerned that any reporting of events may reflect badly on their teaching practice rather than the appalling behaviour of students”.
They also wrote how teachers felt “matters are not dealt with seriously” by St Bernard’s College, and “there is a ‘boys will be boys’ attitude towards matters of sexual harassment and violence”.
