Cranbrook hits back after Four Corners episode

The school’s council hits back at claims made by the ABC show the elite school has a history of abuse, mistreatment and bullying among staff and students.

The school’s council, led by president Geoff Lovell, issued a statement several hours after the episode ‘Old School’, aired on Monday night.

The Cranbrook School council has hit back at claims made in the ABC’s Four Corners program that the school has a history of abuse, bullying and mistreatment among staff and students, declaring that it handles disputes with “care and confidentially” and supports the principal.

The school’s council, led by president Geoff Lovell, issued a statement several hours after the episode ‘Old School’, aired on Monday night that included interviews with former staff and students who made allegations of mistreatment at the exclusive Sydney school.

The council also threw its support behind headmaster Nicholas Sampson and the school’s leadership team.

“The council has considered in detail the matters raised by the ABC and remains fully supportive of the headmaster and the school’s leadership,” Mr Lovell said.

“Cranbrook takes all allegations of abuse, and its duty of care to its students, extremely seriously and follows relevant and mandatory reporting processes in relation to these matters. “We acknowledge survivors and their stories.”

The documentary, led by reporter Louise Milligan, detailed claims of abuse and bullying of former staff and students at the exclusive school in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.

“Many female staff have left the school, bewildered at their treatment, investigations have been launched, nondisclosure agreements signed, settlements paid,” Milligan said.

In the report she said the program had “obtained multiple letters and documents from former Cranbrook staff members describing a toxic culture.”

Despite this Mr Lovell said the council is “satisfied” Mr Sampson and the school’s leadership team have “followed due processes in relation to allegations raised in the program by some former staff.”

Former head of the Old Cranbrookians Association, a councillor and a parent at the school, Jason Graham-Nye, told Four Corners allegations about a toxic culture and alleged conduct were “shocking”.

He also questioned whether the boy’s school was ready to move to coeducation with the transition beginning in 2026.

“I saw behaviour from senior management towards female staff that was completely unacceptable,” Mr Graham-Nye said on Monday night.

“As Cranbrook stands to go co-ed it concerns me greatly that these serious issues have apparently not been addressed.”

Fees to attend the exclusive school located at Bellevue Hill are up to $46,497 for domestic year 12 students.

Cranbrook Alumni includes James and Kerry Packer, Mike Cannon-Brookes and David Gyngell and other high-profile names including Liberal MP Julian Leeser

Travis Mathews, a former Cranbrook student, also told of allegations that he was repeatedly abused by an older border at the school at the age of 13.

“He forced me to perform oral sex on him in his room on a number of occasions and threatened that if I told anyone he would make my life hell basically,” he said.

Mr Mathews is taking civil action against Cranbrook in the NSW Supreme Court 11 years after the alleged abuse took place at the school.

In the Four Corners report it said Mr Sampson was copied in on emails about the claims made by Mr Mathews but Mr Sampson did not get involved in the matter.

A former teacher at the school, Fiona Richards, who taught economics at the school from May 2022, said she had “never felt so humiliated” in her working career.

Milligan said Ms Richards suggested “fairly straight forward changes to the commerce course” and this resulted in a series of complaints about her work while employed by Cranbrook.

Ms Richards subsequently lodged a workers’ compensation claim which was upheld but she said the school didn’t accept it and it subsequently conducted its own investigation into the claims.

Mr Sampson was previously principal of the prestigious Victorian private school, Geelong Grammar, and two former students – Shane O’Hare and Jeff O’Hare – “blew the whistle” about abuse at the school, including sexual abuse against Shane.

The Four Corners episode detailed information heard at the Royal Commission into Institutions Responses to Child Sexual Abuse which involved teacher and convicted pedophile Jonathan Harvey.

The program said that Mr Sampson asked Mr Harvey to retire from the school at the end of 2004 after the claims against the teacher emerged.

Originally published as Cranbrook hits back after Four Corners episode