Former Rockhampton Grammar School teacher accused of decades-old abuse

A former student at a Rockhampton school has alleged they were abused by an ex-teacher at the school decades ago.

The Rockhampton Grammar School. Picture: Google Maps.

A former student of Rockhampton’s most elite private school has alleged they were abused by a teacher at the school almost 40 years ago.

The Rockhampton Grammar School has become embroiled in court proceedings tied to historic allegations a teacher abused a student.

School headmaster Dr Phillip Moulds informed RGS parents and former students of the matter on Wednesday, February 5.

He said the school was currently engaged in court proceedings that related to “the (alleged) abuse of one of its former students by a former teacher at the school”.

“I need to make it very clear that this matter does not relate to any current student or staff member,” he wrote in the statement.

“The Rockhampton Grammar School strongly condemns abuse in any form and takes any allegation of abuse, past or present, extremely seriously.”

Dr Moulds said the school joined the National Redress Scheme in 2020 to enable any incidents of abuse to come to light, and to help survivors of abuse be acknowledged, supported and seek redress.

He said the school appreciated the process was “deeply distressing” for the former student and the school supported their decision to come forward.

“While we cannot change the past, as a school we are committed to supporting those who are impacted by unacceptable historic actions,” Dr Moulds wrote.

“The care, safety and wellbeing of our students should always be the absolute priority, and the school is deeply disappointed that this may not have always been the case.”

Rockhampton Grammar School headmaster Dr Phillip Moulds informed RGS parents and former students the school is involved in court proceedings about “the (alleged) abuse of one of its former students by a former teacher at the school”.

He assured the former students that the Rockhampton Grammar School had evolved significantly since the mid 1980s when the abuse allegedly occurred.

“Everyone at the school understands that it is our shared responsibility to protect children at the school and keep them safe,” Dr Moulds wrote.

“We are proud to have become the first school in Queensland to receive a Safeguarding Children accreditation through the Australian Childhood Foundation.”

He said that accreditation independently validated the school’s “absolute commitment to child safety”.

“All our staff work continuously to ensure a child safe culture prevails,” Dr Moulds wrote.

“We understand that this issue may be distressing or raise concerns for some alumni.”

He invited any former student to contact him confidentially if they wished to raise or discuss any issues regarding this matter.

Dr Moulds said he understood the school community may seek more details about the matter but it was important to protect the privacy of the former student.

“The school will not be disclosing further details at this stage, and we respectfully ask that everyone in our community refrain from speculation,” he said.

“We appreciate your understanding and support, and we will continue to be guided by our commitment to enriching the lives of young people in a safe and secure environment.”

Dr Moulds advised parents he was not planning to inform current students about the matter, however, he invited parents to speak to their child if they felt it was appropriate.

“While we will, of course, respect the legal process, we will endeavour to update the school community about this matter when we are able,” he said.