Teacher and students caught wearing shirts with ‘I have sex with bikes’ written on them at national school sport triathlon event

A junior triathlete has been left disillusioned following a national school sport incident involving children as young as 11 wearing shirts brandishing the picture of an official with the words ‘I have sex with bikes’. Go inside the bizarre incident here.

Triathlete Zoe Wogan17, can’t believe the shirt that was worn by squad members and officials. Picture: Glenn Hampson

A junior triathlete has been left disillusioned following a national school sport incident involving children as young as 11 wearing shirts brandishing the picture of an official with the words ‘I have sex with bikes’.

The School Sport Australia Triathlon and Aquathlon Championships in March became the scene of a “living nightmare” for 17-year-old Gold Coast resident Zoe Wogan who is still suffering prolific amounts of bullying, both online and in person, to this day due to the event.

The Emmanuel College student and her family are now speaking out after suffering in silence while governing bodies kicked the can of responsibility between them without resolving anything for over four months.

Documents obtained by this masthead reveal allegations from the Wogan family including sexual harassment, intimidation and procedural misconduct and dereliction of duty of care by Queensland Representative School Sport.

Triathlon coach Jenny Barwick (left), triathlete Zoe Wogan, 17, and mum Jacqueline Wogan with the image that was printed on T-shirts, and an image of someone wearing one of the T-shirts. Picture: Glenn Hampson

Wogan was at a team dinner before the national titles in Rockingham, Western Australia, when she witnessed QRSS official Brian Harrington and around 30 junior athletes wearing a shirt with his image and the sexually explicit words on the front of them.

It’s understood someone made the shirts as a surprise for Harrington and presented them to him.

Wogan voiced her concern with the attire with her mother and Gold Coast coach Jenny Barwick on the eve of the race along with QRSS officials on March 14, the day of the event.

“Something about that didn’t sit right with me. It’s not an appropriate thing to wear at a school event,” Wogan said.

“Why is it that a 17-year-old would be the only one to realise the shirt is not OK?”

Wogan finished sixth at the national titles after coming out of the water in second in what should have been the crowning achievement of her young career.

Instead it was the start of what she says is the worst experience of her life.

She was disqualified before having her result reinstated only after, she claims, officials provided no evidence despite her being grilled in the sun in front of hundreds of athletes.

Soon after former world triathlon champion Emma Carney shared an image of the controversial shirt on social media.

Former champion triathlete Emma Carney. Picture: Mark Stewart

Instead of being supported for raising her concerns in private Wogan’s mother Jacqueline said things spiralled and little was done to stop the avalanche of bullying from rivals and teammates in person and online in the aftermath.

It escalated to the point where Jacqueline changed Wogan’s flights home so she could be with her and so she could get away from an environment that she deemed unsafe for her daughter.

Wogan said she is still getting bullied at events and school and that her mental health had been significantly affected.

Organisations including Triathlon Australia, School Sport Australia, Blue Card services, Sport Integrity Australia were all alerted to the incidents in Western Australia but all referred the family to QRSS.

The state body investigated it and provided a report on July 31 that responded to the sexual harassment allegations by stating: “The T-shirts were inappropriate and although not directed at Zoe, she should not have been exposed to them.

“Internal measures have been taken to prevent similar issues within the QRSS program occurring at future events.”

Triathlon coach Jenny Barwick (left), triathlete Zoe Wogan, 17, and mum Jacqueline Wogan. Picture: Glenn Hampson

QRSS said in the report it disputed all other allegations.

The QRSS said it couldn’t control the actions of parents, despite the existence of a School Sport Australia parents code of conduct.

Jacqueline said she wanted an apology, accountability and transparency.

“I don’t understand why you have rule books, guidelines, codes of conduct if you turn a blind eye and just pretend like it never happened,” Wogan said.

“They have distributed sexual content via the shirt to minors and without parental consent.

“I just don’t want this to happen to somebody else.”

When asked by this masthead if an apology would be forthcoming and what specific actions had been implemented to resolve the issue a spokesman for the Department of Education said:

“Protecting the safety and wellbeing of students is the Department’s highest priority and the Department expects all staff to meet high standards of behaviour and conduct.

“There are robust policies and procedures in place to ensure student care and protection and to act when employees are alleged to have engaged in misconduct.

“An internal inquiry into the complaints was conducted, no further comment can be made on any individual employee matters, investigations or subsequent outcomes for privacy

reasons.”

QRSS did not respond to requests to interview Harrington.

Originally published as Teacher and students caught wearing shirts with ‘I have sex with bikes’ written on them at national school sport triathlon event