Hotline for Cranbrook School students, parents and staff to be established amid scandal

An elite Sydney school has announced it will set up an external reporting line for “serious” allegations after claims of mismanagement, a toxic culture and a teacher’s sexually explicit emails emerged.

Scandal-plagued Sydney private school Cranbrook will set up an external reporting line for “serious” allegations after claims of toxic culture, mismanagement and a teacher’s sexually explicit emails forced its headmaster to resign.

Cranbrook’s school council informed the school community on Monday that it would be taking several immediate steps in response to the allegations which came to light over the past week, including establishing “an external avenue for people to report serious concerns”.

“This will be available to current and former staff, students and parents of Cranbrook, and to anyone else who believes they have relevant information,” Council President Geoff Lovell wrote.

The school’s council will also commission an external review of Cranbrook’s handling of child safety matters from 2010 onwards. Nicholas Sampson, until last Friday, had been headmaster of the school since 2012.

Sampson handed in his resignation amid claims he failed to report his knowledge of sexually explicit emails sent by a current Cranbrook teacher to female former students at another school.

Former Cranbrook School principal Nicholas Sampson. Picture: Supplied

Cranbrook’s school council president Geoff Lovell.

His failure to disclose the matter to the School Council, which Mr Lovell said became aware of the allegations for the first time late on Thursday, “led to an irrevocable breakdown of trust”.

The content of the emails sent to a former student in 2014, as reported by the ABC, includes sexual fantasies about students and comments about the girls’ underwear – or lack thereof – under their skirts.

A hotline has been set up for current and former Cranbrook School students, parents and staff.

The unnamed teacher, who had been promoted while at Cranbrook, has been stood down pending further assessment.

“Our inquiries into the matters reported by the School Council last Friday are ongoing and the teacher involved remains on leave,” Mr Lovell wrote.

Child protection, workplace health and safety, whistleblowing and discrimination and bullying policies will also be reviewed, and an existing external “school culture project” will continue.

In the latest communication to parents, students, staff and the wider school community, Mr Lovell said the council would be starting their search for a new headmaster “shortly”.

Senior school head Michele Marquet has been appointed to the acting position in the interim.

“The School Council understands that there is significant work required to maintain the confidence of the School community,” he said.

“Our priority is to ensure that students experience minimal disruption and that our staff are fully supported.”

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