Mueller College rape list scandal: Students embroiled cut from Christian school

All students who compiled or shared a rape list which mocked special needs children have been “removed” from the prep-Year 12 co-ed school, its principal has stated.

Mueller College students have been cut from the school after a rape list scandal.

• How we broke rape list scandal
• Special needs kids mocked in sick twist

Students embroiled in a “rape list” scandal at Mueller College have been cut from the Christian school as police investigations continue.

All students who compiled or shared the list – in which children with learning disabilities and special needs were mocked and deemed “un-rapable” – have been “removed” from the prep to Year 12 co-ed school in Rothwell, according to head of college Paul Valese.

In a letter to parents on October 17, Mr Valese defended the handling of the shocking incident.

It comes after parents and students slammed Mueller College’s response, telling The Courier-Mail they were “disgusted”.

In the letter, Mr Varese said when the school learned on October 9 of the “vile and offensive” list on social media, it contacted police and “took immediate steps to remove students who either authored the content or subsequently shared it”.

“These students are no longer part of the Mueller community, with their final day as a student on campus being the day we received the report,” Mr Varese wrote.

“Given the students involved are Year 12, the college is providing alternative means to sit their final exams, so they are still able to receive their Queensland Certificate of Education.

“I stand by my decision to immediately remove these students from the community. A strong conviction in protecting our young people drives my firm decisions.”

Students involved in the rape list scandal were cut from Mueller College at Rothwell.

Mr Varese said social media could be dangerous.

“If your child comes across offensive material, please encourage them to discuss this with you so that it can be handled appropriately,” he said.

Mr Varese said he was “grieved” by the incident – which he said happened outside school hours and involved “a small number of students”.

“I am grieved for our amazing Year 12 students who want to celebrate their 13 years of schooling in a positive way with their friends.”

On October 16 when The Courier-Mail broke the story, one former student said: “I am utterly disgusted by what goes on behind the doors of the school.

“The rape list is extremely intense, and concludes by saying, ‘Until then stay … rapey? Bye!’.

“Students who are aware of the situation have been pulled aside during class, and forced to sign official non-disclosure agreements,” said a former student, who declined to be named.”

Mr Valese denied students had been asked to sign NDAs.

On October 17, The Courier-Mail revealed many parents also were furious about the college’s handling of the matter.

One parent said children who reported the list and called out “misogyny and rape culture” felt they had been vilified by the school and that not all students involved in the making of the list had been punished.

One Year 10 girl described the list as “disgusting”.

“We had a whole massive senior school assembly about it; these guys made an ‘unrapable’ list about a bunch of girls,” she said.

“They didn’t just write their names, they literally wrote a whole paragraph about each of them explaining why … and the poor girl at the top is so sweet.”

She said the list had been “reposted and sent everywhere”.

A spokesperson for the Queensland Police Service confirmed the matter was reported to police on October 9 and investigations were continuing.

Originally published as Mueller College rape list scandal: Students embroiled cut from Christian school