Julian Taylor calls for investigation into ‘80 illegal acts’ by Victorian Institute of Teaching

A brazen conman who used fake documents to work as a maths teacher has fronted court in a bizarre bid to clear his name.

Julian Taylor during a Supreme Court hearing in 2016. Picture: Sarah Matray

Convicted conman Julian Taylor, who is facing deportation after posing as a teacher, has made a bizarre bid to clear his name.

The 57-year-old fraudster fronted court on Wednesday demanding an investigation into the Victorian education watchdog over “80 illegal acts” connected to his 2015 deregistration.

The hearing was the latest in a series of applications by Taylor at VCAT about the Victorian Institute of Teaching’s (VIT) decision to cancel his registration.

Taylor was jailed in 2018 on 13 counts of fraud and perjury after he used fake documents to change academic records.

He used the fake records to change his name – which was Steven Barr on his UK birth certificate – and cover up his criminal past to enable him to register as a teacher in Victoria.

Taylor spent 10 years teaching including stints at Ilim College, St Paul’s Anglican Grammar, Hamilton and Alexandra College and Traralgon College.

The ruse was discovered following a VIT investigation in 2015 which was prompted by information from an overseas school where Taylor had taught.

Taylor on Wednesday asked the VCAT to force the VIT Council to look into “corruption and perjury” linked to his case.

The Leader is not suggesting any wrongdoing on behalf of VIT or its members.

The tribunal heard the council had refused the request in March because there were still matters before the Supreme Court, including an appeal of a VCAT decision not to review the 2015 cancellation of Taylor’s teaching registration.

Council chief executive Peter Cochrane also asked Mr Taylor to stop contacting VIT members about the case.

An agitated Taylor told senior member Elisabeth Wentworth that the tribunal needed to step in and order the council to look into his claims.

However, Ms Wentworth said the tribunal did not have to power to “review, or take action or make orders” to the council.

Ms Wentworth said under the Education and Training Act 2006 the tribunal could only review VIT determinations including registration applications and renewals, cautions, reprimands, restrictions, suspensions and disqualifications.

Taylor appeared before the tribunal via phone from immigration detention where he has been since his release from jail in October 2019.

Ms Wentworth was forced to “mute” an increasingly aggressive Taylor, in order to explain the reasons for her decision.

Taylor then appeared to end the call.

The hearing was the latest in a string of attempts by Taylor to shorten his jail time and be allowed to stay in Australia, despite renouncing his citizenship in 1995.

In March the Federal Court rejected his bid to avoid deportation.