Blackburn High teacher and jazz musician who physically assaulted student free to continue working

A Blackburn High School music teacher and jazz musician who pleaded guilty to assaulting a student has been fined without conviction, leaving him free to continue working as a teacher.

Blackburn High School. Picture: Supplied

A Blackburn High School music teacher and jazz musician has pleaded guilty to physically assaulting a school student in February.

Steve Sedergreen was charged with the unlawful assault of a student from the eastern suburbs school in March and came before Magistrate Roslyn Porter on Thursday.

He was fined $3500 without conviction for unlawful assault, leaving him free to continue to work as a teacher and travel internationally as a musician.

It was alleged a physical altercation took place between Mr Sedergreen and a year eight student in front of shocked classmates. It is believed the student was slapped and even held by the neck, according to some accounts of the February 22 incident.

Mr Sedergreen, a well-established figure on the Melbourne jazz scene, was prohibited from working on campus while he was under investigation by Victoria Police.

Following his court appearance, he remains a registered teacher with the Victorian Institute of Teaching and is now free to return to the classroom.

Mr Sedergreen’s website states that “Steve’s passion for teaching jazz, as well as his unique hands-on approach, uses the best of both worlds — combining the relevant and necessary theory of music with the practicalities of performance experience”.

He formed Mistaken Identity in 1985 while at the Victorian College of the Arts and has performed at numerous festivals, including the Melbourne International Jazz Festival and the Sydney Festival. Mr Sedergreen has a long association with Blackburn High and conducts private and group lessons. He has been registered as a teacher since 2009.