NSW: Former Trinity head says staff were oblivious to bullying

AAP General News (Australia)
02-15-2001
NSW: Former Trinity head says staff were oblivious to bullying

SYDNEY, Feb 15 AAP - A former headmaster of Trinity Grammar today made a public apology
to a former student, who claimed to have been the victim of bullying and victimisation
by students at the school.

Roderick West, headmaster of Trinity from 1975 to July 1996, said staff were oblivious
to the repeated bullying of this particular student which happened during his tenure.

Mr West's comments were contained in a letter to The Australian newspaper responding
to an earlier letter from the father of a former Trinity student.

The father said his son, on a scholarship, was "beaten regularly and unmercifully by
senior boarders, always on the back, upper arms and legs, where the bruises would not
show".

He also said his son was tied between two ladders and beaten with a cricket bat, and
on another occasion, tied inside a laundry bag and left all night on the oval in winter.

Mr West today apologised for the acts and said he remembered the student well.

"It is obvious now that a couple of drongos in the boarding house, who were senior
to him (the student) in age but not in character or academic ability, resolved to make
his life a misery," Mr West said in the letter.

"To our shame the boarding house staff and I were totally oblivious to what was happening.

"We were profoundly sorry that we had failed with such a splendid young man."

Mr West said in all institutions, people manipulate one another and schools were no exception.

The letters to the paper were reaction to recent court hearings and allegations of
sexual assault and bullying at Trinity Grammar. The student Mr West refers to, however,
was not connected to these incidents.

Three students have appeared in court this month over charges of intimidation or aggravated
indecent assault after sexual assault charges were dropped.

A fourth is yet to face court.

AAP sal/jjs/mjm/bwl

KEYWORD: TRINITY STUDENT (CARRIED EARLIER)

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