St Bernard’s College Christian Brothers high school students toxic behavior exposed in leaked report

According to a leaked document, students at a private school in Melbourne were sexually inappropriate in public and at school and were sexually harassed and suggested by a young female teacher.

The toxic culture among boys at St. Bernard’s College in Essendon arose after independent interviews with staff.

Teachers at the Catholic College of the Christian Brothers expressed their concerns to an official from the Independent Education Union of Victoria, who compiled them into a 13-page report that has since leaked.

The shattering development is even more bad news for beleaguered Christian Brothers institutions after another school in the network was plagued by appalling student behavior in May and their governing body was criticized in a report by KPMG two weeks ago.

The principal of St Bernard’s College, Dr. Michael Davies, (pictured) said he took the allegations ‘extremely seriously’ but defended most of the guys

In one case, a young female teacher feared for her safety after receiving threats from a male student who sexually harassed her, the Herald-Sun reported.

The teacher claimed the boy told her he knew the route she took home and correctly named the suburb she lived in after asking if she went to a gym there.

The same woman received comments about “her appearance” from another boy, who openly objectified her.

Another student was suspended for giving a Nazi salute during class.

In one case, a young female teacher feared for her safety after receiving threats from a male student who sexually harassed her, while another boy claimed he knew the route she took to get home (stock image)

A swastika was etched into the teacher’s whiteboard in the same classroom and only removed two weeks later.

St Bernard’s College has 1,600 students from Year 7 through Year 12.

The school took the allegations “extremely seriously,” the principal, Dr Michael Davies, said in a letter to parents and carers.

He said “the vast majority” of the school’s students “live our positive values.”

A student was suspended for giving a Nazi salute in class and a swastika was etched on the teacher’s blackboard in the same class. Pictured, the swastika etched into a blackboard at St Bernard’s College

The letter sent to parents by St. Bernard’s College principal, Dr. Michael Davies, ahead of media coverage of a leaked report on student behavior

dr. Davies told parents that the staff “acted immediately to condemn the unacceptable actions and punish the students.”

But in the report, teachers claimed the school had not handled staff complaints properly.

The boys at the school have acted inappropriately in public on several occasions, it has been alleged.

During a field trip, some boys simulated sex while others shared sexual images during a tram ride in Melbourne, a teacher claimed.

‘On excursion’ [teacher’s name withheld] had a group of boys on a tram where they were going to sing who walked the dogs in relation to a woman,” according to an anecdote from the report.

It also alleged that students acted inappropriately sexually during class at school

Boys in a grade 9 were “dry humping” each other, while students in grade 11 were comparing penis sizes.

Some teachers told the union official that they thought the school’s stance on sexual harassment and violence by students was sometimes “boys remain boys.”

They also told the official that they feared reporting the incidents could reflect on their education rather than the boys’ “terrible” behavior.

The report recommended that the school appoint ‘an independent person’ to handle complaints from staff.

An internal review in July 2021 found that St Kevin’s College (pictured) had a ‘sexist’ and ‘misogynist’ culture

Educators at a private Catholic school ‘don’t feel safe walking around the schoolyard’ (stock image)

The school, whose motto means ‘learn what is right and then put it into practice’, is part of the Edmund Rice Education Australia (EREA) network.

The EREA network used to be called the Christian Brothers.

dr. Davies pointed out in his letter to parents that St. Bernard’s College’s “respectful relationships program” was overseen by child and youth welfare researcher Professor Helen Cahill.

In May, teachers at St Kevin’s College, another Christian Brothers school, ‘didn’t feel safe’ after year seven and eight boys were caught rating the genitals of female staff on a sickening list.

A teacher revealed that the boys ranked “p*****s” of employees and rated the sexual attractiveness of each other’s sisters.

The shocking claims came after an internal review in July 2021 found that the $20,995-a-year school had a “sexist” and “misogynistic” culture.

The KPMG report to the Trustees of Edmund Rice Education Australia (TEREA) said the body was ‘absent’ and had ‘evaded responsibility’.

The Victoria Catholic Education Commission ordered the KPMG report and demanded sweeping changes to TEREA.