Former Trinity Grammar student who had his haircut by dismissed deputy headmaster said schoolyard trims common practice

A FORMER Trinity Grammar pupil who had his hair cut by dismissed deputy headmaster Rohan Brown says schoolyard trims have happened without drama for years.

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A FORMER Trinity Grammar pupil who had his hair cut by dismissed deputy headmaster Rohan Brown says schoolyard trims have happened without drama for years.

Alex Papas, now 27, said the cut never did him any harm.

He told the Sunday Herald Sun: “It wasn’t very commonly done, but Mr Brown would get out the scissors when it was warranted.”

“I turned out just fine — in fact, I am a better person for it,” Mr Papas said.

Fourteen years after Mr Brown snipped Mr Papas’ fringe for a school photo, he was dismissed for doing the same thing to a year 10 student.

Mr Papas, who now works in corporate finance, was in an early year of high school when Mr Brown whipped out the scissors to give his hair a trim.

Alex Papas had his hair cut by deputy headmaster Rohan Brown when he was a student at Trinity Grammar. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

“The day before I’d seen Mr Brown and he said to me: ‘Make sure you have your hair cut,’” Mr Papas said.

“I rocked up to do the photo shoot and Mr Brown said: ‘You haven’t been to the hairdresser’ and he pulled out a pair of scissors and trimmed my fringe on the spot. I had a big fringe and he neatly cut it so it wasn’t in my eyes,” Mr Papas said.

“He didn’t go to town; he just gave me a trim.

“I thought at the time that I should have just had my hair cut myself. I felt a bit embarrassed but it was a good lesson for a fourteen-year-old to learn.

“At the time it helped me and it reflected the care for the individual that the school is known for,” Mr Papas, from Prahran said.

Mr Brown’s dismissal is the subject of an independent review by QC Ray Finkelstein, who is receiving evidence from other parents, students and past students about Mr Brown’s past hair cutting practices.

It is understood Mr Brown would cut the hair of boys once or twice a year if they repeatedly ignored instructions to have their hair cut.

Former chair of the school council, Roderick Lyle, had said the recent haircut “constituted assault” impacted on the “emotional wellbeing” of the boy.

But the boy’s aunt said the matter was “sorted by the end of the week and we said we didn’t want to take it further”.

The school’s rules stipulate that the boys’ hair must be off the collar and out of their eyes.

The independent review is expected to deliver its findings during the school holidays. If Mr Brown has been found to have been unfairly dismissed, he could return as soon as next term.

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