Annette Sharp: Moriah College reads riot act to students after suspicious class-time light-up

A prestigious Sydney Jewish school is in crisis control after teens attending online classes lit up and smoked what looked to be “illicit” substances.

The college executive at prestigious Sydney Jewish school Moriah College is in crisis control after teens attending online classes during the week lit up and smoked what looked to be “illicit” substances during senior school tutorials.

On Friday night Moriah principal Rabbi Yehoshua Smukler emailed parents of students enrolled at the K-12 college to advise them the school’s code of conduct policy had been breached and Moriah “brought … into disrepute” by the behaviour of some students who invited friends not enrolled at the college to participate in online lessons.

“Earlier this week some students in our High School invited non-Mariah participants into several of our online lessons,” Rabbi Smukler said, addressing parents from the college in a letter seen by this column.

“Some of these non-Moriah participants engaged in smoking what appears to be an illicit substance and used offensive language while visible online in our classes.”

Equally distressing to the school’s leadership team is that the activity was videoed by some students and has been widely shared.

“We are treating these incidents as a serious breach of our values, Codes of Conduct and policies, expectations and trust,” Rabbi Smukler said in a letter jointly signed off by vice-principal and director of music Roberta Goot and high school head Mark Hemphill.

As a result of the breach, the school has altered its online learning system to restrict access to the platforms, a school source confirmed.

“These actions have humiliated numerous staff members and students, have brought the college into disrepute, and reflect poorly on all of us,” Rabbi Smukler said.

“We are appealing to each and every Moriah student and family to please respect our students’ right to learn and our teachers’ right to teach in a safe and secure environment.

“We warn anyone who in involved in these activities that we treat violations of these rights and of our Code of Conduct and policies very seriously.”

Rabbi Smukler could not be reached last night for comment.

Moriah, in well-heeled Queens Park in Sydney’s inner east, teaches via a Modern Orthodox Zionist Jewish framework that “permeates every second of life” at the college, according to the school website.

It is also popular with local and visiting celebrities.