Up to 10 St Kevin’s College students suspended for the offensive chant on tram
A graduate from St Kevin’s College has revealed why the tram chant scandal came as no surprise, saying students’ “horrific” sexist attitudes were part of its ingrained culture. It comes as the school suspended of those responsible for the furore.
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A former student of St Kevin’s College has revealed what he says is deep-rooted misogyny at his alma mater, saying this week’s sexist chant furore came as no surprise.
Year 10 and 11 students from the Toorak private boys’ school were filmed travelling to an inter-school athletics carnival on a tram, chanting derogatory lines about women in front of other passengers.
The “alpha male” students were en route to Lakeside Stadium in Albert Park when they were filmed chanting derogatory lines about women in front of other passengers, with three students suspended over the incident.
But teenager Luka Kiernan said he wasn’t surprised in the slightest by what he saw in the video.
“It just shows the level of confidence and audacity that these boys have in their own sexist attitudes that they feel they can express them publicly, on a tram, without any shame at all,” the 2018 graduate said.
He said while he was at school there he raised concerns to the deputy headmaster about what he described as an “ingrained misogynistic culture”.
But he accused the school of making no genuine attempt to change the culture.
He said the school needed to place a greater focus on addressing the issue of sexism.
“It’s not the type of thing that can be addressed with handing out detentions and suspensions and just tinkering around the edges,” he said on ABC radio.
“It’s fundamental attitudes that create these behaviours.”
The chant’s lines are part of a longer song which has 17 verses detailing explicit and degrading sexual acts men want to perform on women, and includes the following lines:
I wish that all the ladies
Were holes in the road
And if I were a dump truck
I’d fill them with my load
The song has been sung at university colleges and among army cadets for many decades.
St Kevin’s headmaster Stephen Russell branded the behaviour “offensive and misogynistic” and is seeking more footage of the incident, which took place last Saturday.
Mr Russell will continue to interview year 10 and 11 students involved, a source from the school said.
The number of suspended students could climb to as many as 10 as more evidence comes to light. The school has refused the confirm the exact figure.
Those involved who are repeat offenders will face expulsion from the school, which receives $13 million of government funding a year.
But Mr Kiernan said such behaviour was completely normal for students at St Kevin’s.
He said that on a number of different occasions he heard students talking about taking advantage of women.
“At parties, women are unable to consent to things being done to them,” he told ABC Radio.
“Just being taken advantage of. That was common place. It’s horrific, but in the context of the culture of St Kevin’s, it’s pretty unremarkable.
“I didn’t have evidence to back (the claims) up or anything, but it’s the type of thing you’d hear.”
He said he spoke to the school about the cultural problem while he was still a student but that nothing has been done about it. And he believes the problem is far more widespread than people think.
“We live in a fundamentally sexist society and sexism purveys every levels of society,” Mr Kiernan said.
“When you take this extremely sexist society and put it in this hyper-masculine echo chamber … of the most privileged, confident men, then it really amplifies that sort of thing.”
CHANT ‘TARNISHED’ ALL STUDENTS
A St Kevin’s source said the actions of the senior boys “have tarnished us all”.
“Most of them are awesome kids and all it takes is a few alpha males and it spreads. I can think of 20 kids who it might be and 300 who it wouldn’t be,” he said.
The source said there was “genuine and heartfelt embarrassment among teachers” and a determination to punish those involved.
The group on the tram did not include track athletes, who were already at the stadium at the time.
In a strongly worded letter to parents — who pay up to $20,000 a year in school fees — Mr Russell vowed he would “not let this matter lie”.
He refused to speak to the media today, but the letter says he was “upset, frustrated and angry at the incident”.
“As a husband, a father of daughters, a brother of four sisters, a son and, I hope, a good friend and a decent colleague to many women, I know this behaviour cannot go unchallenged,” he wrote.
“We commenced our investigation into this offensive and misogynistic behaviour yesterday morning and we are well underway to understanding the extent of the behaviour and the boys involved.
“We have programs specifically designed to teach and shape our boys’ behaviour and attitudes about respectful relationships.
“The College and families need to continue to work together to expand on and improve our work in this area.”
Mr Russell said he was balancing the resolution of the issue with ensuring year 12s have “appropriate celebration and dignity” at Tuesday night’s Eucharist and Valedictory dinner.
It is understood the school declined the opportunity to give the boys the Respectful Relationships training offered by the Education Department but Mr Russell’s letter says the school has programs designed to “shape our boys’ behaviour and attitudes about respectful relationships”.
CODE OF CONDUCT BREACHED
The school’s code of conduct stresses the need for respect and courtesy — and good behaviour on public transport — but does not specifically mention respect for women.
The school was recently listed number 12 on Victoria’s wealthiest school list, with a combined 2015, 2016 and 2017 income of more than $150,000,000.
St Kevin’s students were expelled for setting off flares at the same athletics event in 2017.
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The passenger who filmed the chanting, a woman who wanted to be known as ‘Melanie’, told ABC Radio Melbourne: “I thought it was disgusting.”
She said she did not want to confront the group because she was worried about how they would react.
The school told the Herald Sun it would not make any further comment.