Trinity Grammar council members resign after haircut controversy
THE Trinity Grammar school council chairman is among three members to have resigned from the board after it sacked its deputy principal for cutting a student’s hair.
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THE Trinity Grammar school council chairman is among three members to have resigned from the board after it sacked its deputy principal for cutting a student’s hair.
Chairman Rod Lyle, deputy chair David Waldren and John Grover have all resigned today following a no-confidence motion passed by the school community at a special meeting on Tuesday night.
Trinity Grammar has confirmed they received resignations from Mr Lyle and Mr Waldren on Wednesday afternoon and earlier confirmed Mr Grover was standing down.
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It will reinstate current council member and former chairman Robert Utter to the lead role, despite 1500 members of the school community passing a no-confidence motion against all nine members of the council on Tuesday night.
The school has also endorsed its principal Dr Michael Davies despite just 28 people at the special meeting voting in his favour, stating he had no part in the decision to remove Rohan Brown, whose sacking has led to a week of protest.
“I want to assure the Trinity community that I am resolute in my focus to lead this school,” Dr Davies said in a statement.
“I will not waiver in my determination to enable an environment where all students can thrive.
“While much has been said over the past days, my focus, and that of the wider Trinity team, is to provide our boys with the very best of holistic education and development opportunities.
“I am excited to be working with Robert Utter, a highly respected and regarded member of our community. I also thank the council for their ongoing support.”
The school’s statement outline the “strong performance” of Dr Davies and the school, stating it had become “one of the highest performing schools in Victorian across a range of metrics” since Dr Davies became headmaster in 2014.
On Wednesday afternoon an email purporting to be a joint statement from Mr Lyle and Mr Waldren was sent to media, which a Trinity representative has since confirmed.
The joint statement read: “We regret that we can longer serve on the council since it has become apparent that our values are not shared by sections of the wider school community.
“We maintain that we and the council acted with integrity and in the best interests of the school — its staff, parents and, above all, its students — in taking action over the recent behaviour of the school’s former Deputy Headmaster, Mr Rohan Brown.
“This behaviour was, in the unanimous view of the council, unacceptable and incompatible with the values of Trinity Grammar and with contemporary community standards.
“While we acknowledge the commitment and passion of those in the school community who object to the council’s decision, we are confident that we and the council will be vindicated in the action we took.
“In the meantime we urge the school community to support the Headmaster, Dr Michael Davies, and his staff so that they can focus on their crucial work of education to enable each and every boy to become the best he can be.”
John Grover, the delegate for the Old Trinity Grammarians Assocation, confirmed his resignation while the Old Boys refused to nominate another member until the entire council was spilled.
It comes as sacked Trinity Grammar deputy principal Rohan Brown is being investigated by the teaching body for alleged misconduct after cutting a student’s hair.
The Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT) is investigating the actions of Mr Brown, whose sacking has led to week-long protests.
Victorian Institute of Teaching chief executive Peter Corcoran said the VIT was “aware of this incident and currently investigating the matter with Trinity Grammar”.
“We are unable to comment further until all of the facts are reviewed and a decision achieved,” he said.
Trinity notified the VIT on Friday of the action it took against the teacher in accordance with its obligations under the Education and Training Reform Act.
The VIT has subsequently launched an investigation.
However, it’s understood no complaints have been made in regards to Mr Brown.
Mr Grover, the delegate for the Old Trinity Grammarians Association, this morning resigned from the school council following a damaging no confidence motion in the council by the community last night.
A representative for Trinity Grammar confirmed Mr Grover’s resignation this morning.
“I’m not at liberty to outline his reasons for resignation,” she said.
“Under our constitution, John’s replacement would be a nominee from the OTGA who is ultimately approved by council.”
But OTGA President David Baumgartner wrote to council chairman Rod Lyle on Wednesday stating that they would not nominate a replacement member until all the council members stood down.
“The seat will remain vacant as a symbolic gesture until a council can be elected that better represents the values, fairness and integrity normally observed by officials holding such esteemed positions,” Mr Baumgartner wrote.
The Trinity Grammar school council and headmaster were put on notice at the meeting that if they didn’t resign by the end of the week, lawyers will take action.
About 1500 members of the school community on Tuesday night voted unanimously for the resignation of the school council that sacked the deputy principal for cutting a student’s hair.
The cohort also gave full support to reinstate Mr Brown while just 28 people sought to save headmaster Dr Michael Davies.
The dramatic action follows a week of fury from the community against the sacking of Mr Brown for cutting a student’s hair on school photo day, including student protests on Tuesday.
The school claimed Mr Brown was removed last week following legal threats by the boy’s family.
But the 15-year-old’s aunt revealed on Tuesday night there was never any legal advice sought by the family or legal letters sent as previously claimed.
She praised school leaders who had reached out to him and personally escorted him through the school gates.
The year 10 student had previously spoken of being bullied when it was believed his family wanted Mr Brown sacked.
His family had been looking for other schools in recent days, but his aunt told the meeting: “He had a wonderful day at school today.”
It’s understood if the council does not comply by Friday, lawyers on behalf of the Old Boys alumni group will take action.
The Trinity Grammar school community had voted unanimously to remove the school council and reinstate sacked deputy principal Rohan Brown at a packed meeting. Just 28 people voted to retain principal Dr Michael Davies.
— Ashley Argoon (@AshArgoon) March 13, 2018
Proceedings would be set to be filed on Monday seeking to remove the council.
A fighting fund was also announced on Tuesday night, with donations already being accepted to finance the legal action come Monday.
Six motions were carried at Hawthorn Arts Centre, including the removal of the council, the headmaster to a caretaker role until the end of term 2 and the reinstatement of Mr Brown.
The school council and its nine members were firmly put in the spotlight at the meeting held at Hawthorn Arts Centre, with parent Steve Murphy telling the packed audience “they collectively have a responsibility and accountability to publicly own the decision they have taken”.
Mr Murphy said recent events were a “significant turning point in the history of the school”.
He stressed the meeting was not a “factional war” but a “fight to save the school for our boys and the many who will follow”.
“Rohan Brown sits at the top of the list of those who have cared for, mentored and respected my boy,” he said.
Vice-captain Will Murphy revealed the boy at the centre of the week-long furore was met before school by the captains and escorted inside, and even led a chant in support of Mr Brown during student protests on Tuesday.
“They will throw a 15-year-old boy, throw him under the bus, and allow him to be a scapegoat for whatever their agenda may be,” he said.
Hundreds of Trinity students roared against the sacking of their deputy principal on Tuesday, who they called the ‘Dumbledore of Trinity’.
Students wore brown armbands and casual clothes and screamed “we want Brownie” on their Kew campus oval in extraordinary scenes.
Josh Lanzon was among many senior school students who wore “smart casual” clothes in place of the Trinity uniform in “quiet protest” of Mr Brown’s dismissal.
“Rohan Brown was the Dumbledore of Trinity,” Mr Lanzon said.
“He was honestly the most courageous person ... he’s been wrong done by,” he said.
Mr Brown was sacked for trimming a student’s hair before school photos, despite the student at the centre of the crisis stating he had resolved the issue with the teacher and wanted him to remain.
The drama has reached Spring St, with Education Minister James Merlino weighing in saying Mr Brown’s penalty seemed “pretty harsh”.
But he said the government would not intervene in the private school stoush, however he supported “student voice”.
Opposition education spokesman Tim Smith said he hoped Mr Brown would be reinstated.
The Kew MP said Trinity was an important institution in his local area and his office had been inundated with parents and Old Boys on the hair cutting incident.
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Mr Smith said the sacked teacher was old school and could be an “acquired taste” but he “called it how he saw it.”
“I don’t condone the random haircutting of students.”
But he said given Mr Brown’s 30 years service to the school it was a “minor infraction” and he should be reinstated.
Three-time AFL premiership champ and Trinity alumni Luke Power has also voiced his concerns.
“It is not a small thing when students in their final year of school, with so much on the line, can stand up in front of their Headmaster and hundreds of other people, and state that they have lost the trust and respect of the people that are empowered to guide them,” he said.
Trinity Grammar Old Boy president Tim Sharp said: “The school was heading in such a poor direction we needed to resort to this.”
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