Revolting posts written by students at an all-boys Christian Brothers school in a Facebook group have leaked, as have the vile messages they sent to a former student at a local all-girls school. Another day, another all-boys school making headlines for foul reasons.
The abhorrent screenshots were seen by The Herald Sun, and consisted of comments made by St Bernard’s College students in a Facebook group called “Bernard’s Year 12, 2020” and messages sent to a former student at a local all-girls Catholic school.
They were racist, sexist and misogynistic. I refuse to rewrite any of the foul shit that was said, but if you want to make yourself nauseous, The Herald Sun published some of the comments.
The young woman who received the disgusting messages told The Herald Sun that St Bernard’s College “hasn’t done anything to tackle what these boys are like”.
“I haven’t really met a lot of kids from St Bernard’s who can speak to women respectfully.”
St Bernard’s principal Michael Davies told The Herald Sun the school punished several students by suspending them, and also conducted an internal investigation into the incident.
“Three SBC (St Bernard’s College) students were found to have acted in a completely unacceptable manner and were immediately suspended and left the school permanently at the end of 2020,” he said.
But the woman — who was encouraged to go to the police by St Bernard’s — said suspension wasn’t enough, and the school hadn’t adequately addressed the severity of the matter with its students.
“The boys were so wrapped [sic] that they just got days off school or didn’t have to login online,” she said.
“They didn’t care at all. It didn’t feel like the school emphasised to them the seriousness of this cyber bullying.”
Davies said “there is no place for students at the school who act in that manner” and that St Bernard’s “will not allow unacceptable behaviour”.
It’s a bit rich considering this is the second scandal to hit St Bernard’s College in less than a month. An Independent Education Union report was leaked in October, which showed that students were sexually harassing female teachers, saluting Hitler in class and carving swastikas into desks.
It was only a few months ago that the Daily Telegraph uncovered a Discord group chat with students at Sydney’s private Knox Grammar School. The boys shared anti-Semitic, racist, sexist and pedophilic messages with each other, most of which were “so graphic” the outlet couldn’t publish them.
Suspending students isn’t enough — when will so-called “elite” all-boys schools actually fucking do something about students’ toxic and deeply disturbing behaviour?
