Geelong College pays former student $1 million in compensation

Geelong College will pay $1 million in compensation to a former student who was sexually assaulted by a paedophile teacher. The prestigious school is facing five other decades-old abuse claims.

One of Australia’s most prestigious schools will pay $1 million to a former student sexually assaulted by a teacher.

The Geelong College is now the subject of five other decades-old sex abuse compensation claims being made by former pupils.

The school settled out of court for $1 million after action brought by a man who was molested by a teacher in the late 1960s at age 12.

That teacher later moved on from the school and was convicted of child sex offences in Queensland.

Geelong College is now the subject of five other compensation claims. Picture: Stock image

The Geelong College has confirmed it has settled a case with an ex-student.

The victim, now 63, said it meant a lot to finalise the matter, which was due to go to a Supreme Court trial this week.

“I’ve lived with this all my life. It has never left me,” he said.

“I was 12 … living in a boarding house which turned out to be a very dangerous place.”

Rightside Legal, the legal firm which represented the client who settled on Monday, has five more cases against The Geelong College.

The company said it knew of five other paedophiles who had worked at the school and it was likely there were more.

The client who settled on Monday said he hoped his case would give others hope.

He said he told the school of the abuse in 1996 but they “fobbed me off”.

“It has taken me another 23 years to force Geelong College to face up to the damage it caused, but the fight has been worth it.”

Rightside Legal partner Michael Magazanik said his client persuaded him to sign away his legal rights in 2004, in exchange for the equivalent of 10 sessions of counselling.

“Now, 15 years later, he has fought them on a level playing field and he has won. The price tag for Geelong College’s disgraceful failures is over $1 million.”

“Nobody should feel sorry for Geelong College. The school should hang its head in shame. It allowed a handful of paedophiles into the school in the 1960s and 1970s and many boys were seriously damaged as a consequence.”