‘Big boy jocks on campus’ at Scotch College turning up their noses at ‘consent talks’

Tongues are wagging over “big boy jocks” at Scotch turning up their noses at “consent talks and behaviour towards women”.

Tongues are wagging over the “big boy jocks on campus” at Scotch turning their noses at consent talks.

Scotch College is quick to say they are “continuing to review and update the programs and curriculum relating to consent and respectful relationships with women.”

But it’s what’s not been said or dealt with that has many parents and students upset.

Tongues are wagging over “big boy jocks on campus” turning up their noses at “consent talks and behaviour towards women.”

Scotch College is considered one of the poshest of the holy trinity of Melbourne private schools, alongside Melbourne Grammar and Wesley College.

With an alumni of lawyers, politicians and powerbrokers, there has always been an air of invincibility surrounding the school and those behind its imposing gates.

Last month, principal Tom Batty wrote to parents about how the school had formed a committee to work through a global research project, Responsible Sexual Citizenship.

The school agreed it “must do more” to educate boys about sexual consent, declaring it the “challenge of our times.”

It seems the message didn’t get through to many members of one of the school’s most prestigious sports teams.

The latest bad-boy behaviour is centred around “the big boys, the jocks of the school who think they’re the kings,” says a school insider.

The school is said to have instigated an informal chat at the end of last term with “a cuppa and a talk” about sexual consent rather than a specific sex-education class.

The casual low-key approach was seen as the best way of getting through to the teenagers, but a small cohort of students allegedly made it clear what they thought of the whole idea.

Then the whispers and the sneers and the tears started. There was “disrespect” instead of “respect.”

But in keeping with “private school tradition” the issue appears to have been dealt with “privately.’

Scotch told Page 13: “No students have been expelled in relation to inappropriate behaviour towards women.

“We consider such behaviour completely unacceptable.

“If we are made aware of allegations, we follow the appropriate process and act as required, including referring allegations to the police.”

Does this carefully crafted statement come down to semantics?

It’s understood this same cohort of students was responsible for an incident last year during remote learning, where a guest speaker was subject to what were described as vile comments over a video hook-up.

Comments were made on the physical appearance of the female speaker, along with sexual innuendos.

Teachers were alerted although no disciplinary action was reportedly taken, which has astounded some parents.

The problems surrounding a specific group has created an element of fear among other students too frightened to speak up.

“They’re damned if they do and damned if they don’t speak out,” a school insider said.

“On one hand they are worried about being bunched in with this bad boy group.

“They don’t want to be tarred by this brush and they’re the ones speaking to their parents about what is going on.”

As we know money talks.

If daddy tips in an extra few thousand to the fundraising committee, is there a chance of a blind eye being turned to his son’s shenanigans?

Watch this space.