Graduating year 12 students prank Shore deputy principal in Nazi photo
THE headmaster of one of Sydney’s most prestigious private schools has written a letter of apology to parents after the deputy headmaster was photographed saluting a Nazi flag with students.
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THE deputy headmaster of one of Sydney’s most prestigious private schools has been caught up in a photograph with students saluting a huge Nazi flag bearing the swastika.
Shore headmaster Dr Timothy Wright has written a letter of apology to parents saying the photograph taken during a history lesson was “extremely insensitive and incredibly foolish”.
The image shows Deputy Headmaster Rod Morrison standing in a photograph with graduating year 12 students in which a number of students in the group are giving the Nazi raised arm salute.
Mr Wright launched an investigation into the incident after The Daily Telegraph learned of the existence of the picture and contacted the school.
The headmaster today told parents of the elite school on Sydney’s north shore, which charges annual tuition fees of $30,000, that: “I wish to convey a serious error of judgment which has been brought to my attention over the last 24 hours.
“As is common practice for a graduating Year 12 group our 2016 graduates took a number of photos in their final lessons in term 3 last year.
“It would appear that one image taken at the last history lesson after the conclusion of their studies, which included the Weimar Republic and Nazi Germany, was extremely insensitive and incredibly foolish.
“It pictured a group of boys who had urged their teacher, Deputy Headmaster Mr R Morrison, into a photo.
“The boys then unfurled a Nazi flag and saluted at the camera. As soon as Mr Morrison realised what had happened he expressly made it clear that the photograph was completely inappropriate.
“In my investigations I am convinced that this was an ill-conceived prank and a display of very poor judgment by those caught up in the euphoria of the end of school.
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“The image is clearly insensitive and offensive and in no way consistent with the values shared by Mr Morrison and the school. For any offence given the school unreservedly apologises.
“Following the picture, after recess, Mr Morrison met with the boys during their next class and reiterated the inappropriateness of the images and asked them to delete the photographs, which clearly was not done. He immediately disposed of the flag.
“I first became aware of this matter yesterday when contacted by The Daily Telegraph which had been given a copy of the picture.”
Mr Wright said he would make no further comment about the incident.
NSW Jewish Board of Deputies chief executive Vic Alhadeff commented: “There are 50,000 students who are also caught up in ‘the euphoria of the end of school’ who have not chosen to pose in front of a Nazi flag. It is unfortunate that we increasingly see the trivialisation of Nazi symbols and the atrocities that lay behind them.
“Year 12 students should know better. We invite these students to undertake a guided tour of the Sydney Jewish Museum by Holocaust survivors so that they can see first-hand the horrors they were making light of.”
The principal’s letter in full
Dear members of the Shore Community
I wish to convey a serious error of judgment which has been brought to my attention over the last 24 hours.
As is common practice for a graduating year 12 group, our 2016 graduates took a number of photos in their final lessons in term 3 last year.
It would appear that one image taken at the last History lesson after the conclusion of their studies, which included the Weimar Republic and Nazi Germany, was extremely insensitive and incredibly foolish.
It pictured a group of boys who had urged their teacher, Deputy Headmaster Mr R Morrison, into a photo. The boys then unfurled a Nazi flag and saluted at the camera. As soon as Mr Morrison realised what had happened he expressly made it clear that the photograph was completely inappropriate.
In my investigations, I am convinced that this was an ill-conceived prank and a display of very poor judgment by those caught up in the euphoria of the end of school.
The image is clearly insensitive and offensive and in no way consistent with the values shared by Mr Morrison and the school. For any offence given the school unreservedly apologises.
Following the picture, after recess, Mr Morrison met with the boys during their next class and reiterated the inappropriateness of the images and asked them to delete the photographs — which clearly was not done. He immediately disposed of the flag.
I first became aware of this matter yesterday when contacted by The Daily Telegraph which had been given a copy of the picture.
I intend to provide the newspaper with this letter to our community and will be offering to further comment.
Yours sincerely,
Dr Timothy Wright
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