Brisbane Boys’ College principal Paul Brown expected to leave within weeks

The headmaster of the prestigious Brisbane Boys’ College will leave within weeks, with his replacement revealed today.

The principal of an elite Queensland school will leave within weeks despite assurances he would see out the entire year.

The departure of Paul Brown, headmaster at Brisbane Boys’ College in Toowong, has angered members of the school community who claim Mr Brown has been unfairly pressured by the college’s governing body, the Presbyterian and Methodist Schools’ Association.

A PMSA spokesperson confirmed Mr Brown would be leaving at the end of term 1, on March 31, but said he would be taking terms 2 and 3 as a sabbatical and would return in term 4.

Parents were to be informed of the development on Monday afternoon.

In a letter to parents on Monday afternoon, the college announced that current deputy headmaster - head of senior school and student wellbeing, Damon Emtage, would be acting headmaster.

Brisbane Boys College at Toowong Headmaster Paul Brown. Picture supplied.

Mr Brown, principal for three years, presided over the school’s controversial handling of an alleged sexting and subsequent alleged gang bashing scandal that resulted in four high-profile expulsions last September.

The expulsions were dramatically overturned by the PMSA after The Courier-Mail revealed parents of the four students had sued Mr Brown and the college for negligence in a $750,000 claim.

On February 1 then acting BBC council chair Dr Bridget Cullen issued a statement saying Mr Brown would leave at the end of 2021.

Sensationally, Dr Cullen then quit herself on February 2 over a social media scandal in which she was accused of “stereotyping poor people” and using obscene and “horrific” language.

Dr Cullen concurrently quit her board position on PMSA, which also runs Somerville House, Clayfield College and Sunshine Coast Grammar.

The Courier-Mail can confirm respected Brisbane lawyer Michael Goss also resigned from the BBC council in February, less than a year into the role.

In August 2020, council chair Mark Gray quit after expressing his concerns about the “strategic direction” of the PMSA.

“The school is in an absolute mess, and the PMSA is in crisis,”

said a BBC insider who declined to be named.

The source described Mr Brown as a “top-shelf headmaster who had been unfairly pushed”.

Advertisements for Mr Brown’s replacement were published in newspapers on the weekend.

The PMSA and Mr Brown have been contacted for comment.