Melbourne schools: the scandals which rocked classrooms in the northwest
Whether it’s kids sexting, muck-up day pranks gone wrong, or students brawling, there’s been no shortage of disturbing school scandals which have shocked Melbourne’s northwest. Here’s some that made headlines.
North
Don't miss out on the headlines from North. Followed categories will be added to My News.
From school kids sexting, students brawling in the schoolyard and a muck-up day prank gone wrong there has been no shortage of scandals which have shocked the northwest.
Here is some of the scandals which made headlines in the past decade.
SCHOOL KID RECESS BRAWL CAUGHT ON CAMERA
A wild brawl between students at Wallan Secondary College was captured on camera back in May 2018.
The disturbing footage showed about a dozen students punching, kicking and throwing each other to the ground at the school in Melbourne’s north.
A boy is seen throwing wild punches at another boy while a student screams “get off him mate”.
A mother who said her son was one of the boys assaulted in the video said she feared for his life over repeated bashings at the school.
She said it was the third brawl at the school that year.
Acting Principal Julian Connors said in a statement at the time: “There is no place for incidents like this at our school. It is disappointing and does not reflect the behaviour of the overwhelming majority of our students.
WESTERN SUBURBS TEACHER JAILED FOR SEX CRIMES
Former western suburbs primary school teacher Greg Peter Vinen was, in August 2015, jailed for a minimum six-and-a-half years after he pleaded guilty to raping a child.
Vinen assaulted the victim while he taught at a Traralgon primary school in the 1980s.
Vinen taught at schools including Essendon Grammar, Churchill North Primary and Albion Primary in Sunshine before making his way to the Latrobe Valley.
The La Trobe Valley County Court heard Vinen indecently assaulted his victim, who was just eight at the time, on the first day he was introduced to his Grade 3 class as a substitute teacher in the 1980s.
Vinen asked the pupils to sit on his knee while they showed them their work.
He then molested the boy while his pupils watched on.
Vinen was jailed for a maximum of nine years.
NORTHCOTE HIGH PRANKSTER CLIMBED ROOF WITH FLARE
A masked youth was captured throwing flares, clambering over roofs and climbing barb wire fences in what seems was an elaborate muck up day stunt at a Melbourne school in November, 2019.
At one point a flare is thrown down from a roof to the ground, where a crowd of students are standing.
Footage of the incident at Northcote High School was posted to a Facebook page.
Students, wearing Northcote High School uniforms, are seen reacting as the events unfolded.
MORE SCHOOL SCANDALS:
BASHINGS, COCAINE AND BOOZY LIMOS: TALES FROM THE SOUTHEAST
BULLYING, CHILD ABUSE AND DRUG USE: SCHOOLS OF THE EAST
While some appeared fearful others cheered him on, calling for him to chuck the flare onto the courtyard.
This was largely met with cheers but some students can be heard calling him and idiot and disgusting.
The masked youth is then seen running through sportsgrounds, climbing a wire fence and mounting portable classrooms before lighting the flares.
It was unclear whether the offender is or was a student at the school.
MELTON SCHOOLGIRL ASSAULT
Video of a brutal schoolyard fight shows dozens of students watching on as a girl appears to kick and punch another girl at Staughton College in Melton back in October 2018.
A mother of a girl left “very traumatised” after the incident said it wasn’t the first brawl at school.
Staughton College principal David Lord said, at the time, “there is no place for bullying or aggressive and threatening behaviour in our school”.
”This incident does not reflect our values,” he said.
“The school has implemented a number of initiatives to reduce and respond to bullying.”
FOOTSCRAY SCHOOLKIDS TESTED FOR TUBERCULOSIS
Footscray City College faced it’s own mini-pandemic when students were tested for tuberculosis back in November 2016.
Victorian Department of Health tested the students after one was diagnosed with the illness six weeks prior.
Department spokesman Bram Alexander said at the time the screening was a precautionary measure.
“It’s unlikely other cases will be detected but we do these tests for reassurance,” Mr Alexander said.
The spokesman said the student who was originally diagnosed was treated right away and isolated in hospital until no longer infectious.
THE SCHOOL SEXTING SCANDAL
A sexting scandal rocked a school in Melbourne’s west back in July, 2013.
Police said at the time said a “disturbing explicit photograph” of a 16-year-old female student was passed around the secondary school.
MORE THE MELBOURNE CRIMES REVEALED ON CAMERA IN 2019
MELBOURNE BROTHELS: THE SEX DENS TO FIND TROUBLE IN 2019
MELBOURNE'S WORST FRAUDSTERS AND CONMEN
The investigation led to the discovery of two further images, both of 14-year-old girls, also being passed around by pupils.
Police said students from a number of western suburbs schools were allegedly involved.
The 16-year-old victim said she sent the picture to “trusted” friends, thinking it would be deleted after being received – however it was discovered being passed around a year later in mid-May.