Vice-principal intervenes in wild brawl at Berwick College

Students have jumped to the defence of a Berwick vice-principal who was filmed intervening in a schoolboy brawl, as new video shows what happened during the dramatic incident. WATCH THE VIDEO

A vice-principal who allegedly restrained a 16-year-old schoolboy during a violent brawl has been defended by students from his school.

Several shocking videos have emerged from the violent incident at Berwick College this week, but a number of students contacted the Herald Sun on Wednesday night to express support for the vice-principal.

The latest video shows a student trying to drag the vice-principal off another student — as the senior teacher appears to hold the student in a headlock in a desperate bid to break up the fight — before other teachers and students rush in.

Berwick College father Glen Adams said “enough was enough” in terms of violence at the school.

“This has been going on for four months,” Mr Adams said about the violence.

“There is no discipline, this school has an issue with fighting everyday of the week.

“I want my kid out of that school.

“My son is not returning to school until they resolve this.”

Education Minister James Merlino has now also come to the vice-principal’s defence, saying he backed Victorian teachers using force in cases of extreme violence in the schoolyard.

“I am getting advice from the department and have obviously seen the vision and will let the investigation run its course,” he said.

“Can I also say teaching is a very challenging profession at times and there are absolutely circumstances that arise where a teacher is required to restrain a student if there is immediate danger to other students or the student themselves.

“Our policy is very clear, incidents are rare but do require, at times, teachers and staff to physically restrain a child if other children are at risk.”

A screenshot of the vision showing the vice-principal trying to intervene in the brawl. Picture: Supplied

Mr Adams said he had been to “many meetings” over bullying and trouble which had been going on at the school and concerned his son.

“The principal says her hands are tied,” he said.

“The school needs to act on it.

“The education department are overruling everything.”

Mr Adams said his son had been forced to stay at home this week due to bullying from other students.

“He’s at home, an absolute wreck,” Mr Adams said.

“My son’s at the doctors, seeing a psychologist.

“It is a sad state of affairs, my kid is still at home.”

Mr Adams said there was a culture of physical violence at the school and there were a few “ringleaders” who encouraged the bullying.

“The education department need to step and do what they are supposed to do,” he said.

The concerned father said students who repeatedly caused trouble needed to be expelled.

STUDENTS DEFEND SCHOOL: ‘OUR TEACHERS ARE REALLY GOOD’

One student said the teacher “did what he had to do to ensure no one else was put in hospital”.

Another said he “was helping in the best way he could”.

Three students, who asked not to be named, said they witnessed the attack and described the footage as only capturing the end of the incident.

They said they saw a teacher being put in a headlock and his head banged against a wall before another teacher stepped in to restrain a student.

“The assistant principal — he was not physical, not extra, not anything uncalled for, just restrained him,” the students told the Herald Sun. “Our teachers are really good.”

Another student said a female teacher had also been punched in the face.

“There was an email sent out saying if students don’t feel safe, they can have a day off and to use school counselling. We didn’t go to school today. Our parents didn’t want to send us,” the girls said.

The students also said their school was put into lockdown for almost two hours on Tuesday as the fight unfolded.

A Department of Education spokeswoman said the department was investigating the “serious incident”.

“We understand the staff member intervened and restrained the student to prevent the student from committing further assaults,” the spokeswoman said.

“A number of students have been suspended pending the outcome of our investigations. As this is a police matter, it would be inappropriate to comment further on this specific incident.”

The spokeswoman said the department had been working closely with the school to ensure all staff and students were provided with additional support services.

“This includes Student Support Services, confidential counselling for staff and Principal Health and Wellbeing services to assist those who need it.”

The brawl was said to have been one of several incidents that have unfolded over the past two weeks at the school.

It’s believed the vice-principal was trying to break up a fight between two groups of boys. Picture: Supplied

In the past week alone, there have allegedly been three separate fights, the students said.

It comes as the furious parents of the teenager say the shocking video shows their son being held by the vice-principal in a headlock before others, including the student’s younger brother, pulled the senior staff member away.

It is not clear what prompted the incident, but it is believed the vice-principal was trying to intervene and break up a fight between two groups of boys.

It’s understood the staff member was trying to put an end to the violent brawl and to stop students from being hurt.

Three students aged between 14 and 16 were arrested at the school.

The distressing alleged incident came at the tail end of a brutal fight involving 15-20 students at the Manuka Rd campus on Tuesday.

It forced the school into lockdown, with students ordered to seek refuge under desks in their classrooms, until police arrived.

The mother of several of the students involved who didn’t want to be named, said the footage was “confronting to watch” and wants the vice-principal removed while the incident is being investigated.

“My son was placed in a headlock by the deputy principal and suffered grazes and severe neck pain as a result,” the mum claimed.

“My other 14-year-old son then came to his aid — it was confronting to watch.

“My sons, including my 13-year-old son that had nothing to do with the incident, have been stood down by the school and can’t return while the investigation is ongoing, but the other students involved haven’t been reprimanded.”

The woman said she was angry and believed her sons had been wrongfully targeted as a result of the incident.

“There is footage of them circulating on social media showing both of my sons walking out in handcuffs and this is distressing as all they were trying to do was defend themselves.”

The Herald Sun is not suggesting either party was at fault, only that the incident took place.

The family has been told via text message that the children are not allowed back at school until a meeting is held next week.

The 16-year-old student was held on the ground at Berwick College.

Merlino said incidence of this nature were not common in Victorian schools.

“Thankfully incidents of violence are relatively rare within our education system. We have got more than 1500 government schools and 650,000 students and on average, per school per year, it is less than two incidents.

“So, it is rare but whenever it happens it is a concern. As a matter of course each and every incident is investigated by the department and that will be the case with Berwick. “

Berwick College principal Kerri Bolch released a statement on Tuesday through the Department of Education following the incident, to say there was “an altercation between students at the school earlier today, which prompted us to enact our lockdown procedure”.

A 17-year-old boy was taken to hospital with minor injuries and has since been discharged.

The police investigation remains ongoing.

AEU Victorian Branch president Meredith Peace said the incident was “deeply concerning”.

“Principals, teachers and support staff, like everyone else, are entitled to work in a safe environment. Violence, whether physical or verbal, is not acceptable and should not be tolerated,” Ms Peace said.

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The Department of Education spokesman said incidents of this nature were “relatively rare” in Victoria’s more than 1,500 government schools.

“On average, there are less than two violent incidents per school, per year in Victoria,” the spokesman said.

“Violence in schools is completely unacceptable however if it does occur, we take it seriously.

“We have been in close contact with Berwick College to provide staff and students with additional support services at the school.

“This includes Student Support Services, confidential counselling for staff and Principal Health and Wellbeing services to assist those who need it.”

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