Former Cromer High students say a ‘pack of male teachers’ used their power to solicit sex in the ‘80s

Former students have claimed the northern beaches school where Chris Dawson first met his 16-year-old pupil who became his wife was a hotbed of student-teacher sexual activity where teenagers were plied with booze and drugs. Dawson is not the subject of any of these allegations.

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Former students have claimed the northern beaches school where Chris Dawson first met his 16-year-old pupil who would become his second wife was a hotbed of student-teacher sexual activity where teenagers were plied with booze and drugs.

Those who attended Cromer High School in the 1980s have spoken out about how a pack of male teachers used their power to solicit sex from young girls. Dawson is not the subject of any of these allegations.

But whistleblowers are now hopeful his arrest will have a “domino effect” and lead to more prosecutions from police, who have set up a special strike force to investigate the alleged harassment.

The Cromer High School staff photo in 1980 showing teacher Chris Dawson in the front row on the far right.

Cromer High had a large number of male teachers in 1980.

Robyn Wheeler, 53, was vice-captain of the school and has given detectives information about the alleged abuse.

She said she had provided the names of 10 teachers involved after she had met with alleged victims to gather information.

Ms Wheeler said there were allegations regarding about 20 teachers across the northern beaches.

“At its best it was sexual opportunism … it was teachers using their position to have sex with students,” Ms Wheeler told The Daily Telegraph yesterday.

“Some of those who were involved, their careers extended into quite high places.

“There are teachers still working now who were involved back in the 1980s.”

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Former student Robyn Wheeler was vice-captain of the school and has given detectives information about the alleged abuse. Picture: Liam Driver

Sergeant Damian Loone who investigated the 1982 disappearance of Lyn Dawson, told the NSW Coroner in 2003 the sexual activities included Chris Dawson and his twin Paul — who both played top-level rugby league for the Newtown Jets — having sexual intercourse with a female student at the same time.

Paul Dawson has denied any wrongdoing.

A Newtown Jets playing card featuring Paul Dawson.

A Newtown Jets playing card featuring Chris Dawson.

Ms Wheeler said changing attitudes towards inappropriate relationships was inspiring victims to come forward after the behaviour was accepted at the time. “It was a beach culture, a social beach culture and it was a time of very pervasive sexism, but most of all it was an unwillingness of those in authority to do anything,” she said.

Paul and Chris Dawson appeared on TV and commercials.

Other former students have described how teachers openly boasted about sleeping with female students and supplied them with drugs and alcohol before making sexual advances. Phil Webster attended the school while Chris Dawson was a teacher and has also provided a statement to police about problems at the school.

The brothers in an advertisement in the early ‘80s.

Chris Dawson when he was a teacher at North Sydney Boys High in 1975.

He said the culture was so bad that the long-running affair between Dawson and his Year 11 student Joanne Curtis was seen as “no big deal”.

“It wasn’t just about the relationship between Chris and Joanne, it was about some of the other teachers’ behaviour … there were several others,” he said.

“The reason why not a lot was said about it at the time is that it was an accepted practice. It was seen as OK because once the girl turned 16 she was old enough to make a decision about who they wanted to be with and if that happened to be a teacher that’s no big deal.

“That’s what we were basically coached to believe and all these years later many of us have become parents look back on it and think, wow how did they con us into thinking that was OK”.

The affair between Joanne Curtis (above) and her teacher Chris Dawson was not considered ‘a big deal’ at the time because she was 16 and could consent, a former student says.

Named Strike Force Southwood, the police investigation into allegations of abuse at Cromer High is led by the NSW Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad.

It was launched in July after ex-students spoke of the school’s toxic culture in The Teacher’s Pet podcast.

Shocking allegations include that in 1980 a male teacher raped a female student.

Ex-students also claimed their concerns were ignored by the school.

Cromer High School on the northern beaches was ‘a hotbed of teacher-student sexual activity former students claim.

Education Minister Rob Stokes has given his department a ministerial directive to track down old personnel records to help police investigate the “shocking” claims at Cromer High and two other northern beaches schools.

A NSW Police spokesman said their investigations were continuing: “Police are treating these matters seriously and in the strictest of confidence­.”