More principals caught up in St Kevin’s child grooming scandal
Principals from Melbourne’s most prestigious schools have been drawn into the scandal that rocked St Kevin’s College as another member of the embattled school’s staff steps down.
Education
Don't miss out on the headlines from Education. Followed categories will be added to My News.
St Kevin’s deputy principal Janet Canny has been asked to stand down during a probe into her handling of a staff member’s complaint.
It comes after a tumultuous day for St Kevin’s College, where principal Stephen Russell resigned and head of sport Luke Travers was stood down.
The pair was under immense pressure for providing character references for Kehoe after his trial for grooming, pitting them against Kehoe’s young victim.
A letter from St Kevin’s was sent to the school community this morning, stating Ms Canny “strongly refutes: allegations relating to the complaint.
The standing down of Ms Canny follows court action by a former staffer at the elite Toorak institution.
The school’s former head of counselling, Maree Keel, filed a Fair Work action in the Federal Court on Wednesday, claiming Ms Canny mishandled a complaint over inappropriate sexual conduct of a teacher towards a student.
“I can confirm that Maurice Blackburn is acting for Ms Keel in a matter under the Fair Work Act,” spokesman Paddy Murphy said.
“Ms Keel alleges she was mistreated after raising concerns about the behaviour of a St Kevin’s staff member.”
The heads of several other prestigious Melbourne private schools come under pressure over their handling of convicted child groomer Peter Kehoe, a former St Kevins athletics coach.
The St Kevin’s College scandal is set to widen to include the principals of Xavier College, Trinity Grammar and St Bernard’s College about their roles in relation to the disgraced athletics coach.
On Wednesday, questions were being asked of the principal of Xavier College William Doherty, who was acting head of St Kevin’s College in 2015.
Mr Doherty wrote a letter to athletics team members telling them about Kehoe’s conviction. The letter stresses Kehoe was not a St Kevin’s staff member, failing to mention his 38-year association with the school as an external athletics coach. It also mentions that a St Kevin’s student gave evidence at the trial, but does not say that both the then principal Mr Russell and director of sport Mr Travers gave character references for Kehoe.
Questions are also being asked about Mr Doherty’s response to a May 2015 letter to him and Mr Russell from the head of the St Kevin’s Amateur Athletics Club.
The letter raised a possible prior incident involving Kehoe and another student dating back to 1986.
It notes that suspicions about Kehoe’s conduct extending back to that time “should have been disclosed to SKC (St Kevin’s College)”.
But these concerns were not communicated to the school community at the time.
Kehoe was hired by Trinity Grammar in 2014 after he left St Kevin’s College.
The Herald Sun can reveal teachers on two separate occasions went to then principal Michael Davies to raise concerns about Kehoe.
Two sources told the Herald Sun Kehoe was regarded as a “disturbing fellow” and “very concerning” but Dr Davies did not take their concerns seriously and did not act on them immediately.
RELATED
UNANSWERED QUESTIONS AFTER ST KEVIN’S SCANDAL
SACRE COEUR SEVERS TIES WITH ST KEVIN’S COLLEGE
Dr Davies is now head of St Bernard’s College.
Present Trinity Grammar principal Adrian Farrer put out a statement on February 17 saying “the school was not aware of any issues relating to Mr Kehoe’s time at Trinity”.
The Herald Sun believes this is now not the case.
The principals have all been contacted for comment.
Prestigious girls’ school Sacre Coeur has cut ties with St Kevin’s College effective immediately and St Kevin’s headmaster has been replaced by St Patrick’s John Crowley.